The TwiFiles The Truth
by jmolly
Summary: M & S investigate:Carlisle Cullen appears to be the target of a serial killer.But M & S uncover strange things about the Cullens, esp Ren.Are the Cullens the real X-File?Is Mulder right?Are there vampires in Forks? Citrus:M/S, E/B.Temp hiatus spoilers .
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**The Twi-Files: The Truth: Prologue**

**Rated M for Sculdermully and Bedward yumminess.**

**This fic is interrupting our regularly scheduled programming at the behest of one man: Anthony, aka Mr jmolly, who has been begging for it for 8 months now.**

**Happy Father's Day, Dear. Hope you're happy with it. Xoox**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is merely coincidental.**

**Music for this chapter can be found at youtubedotcom/jmollytwilight2, on the playlist 'X Marks the Spot', beginning at #1:**

**'The X-Files Theme: I Want to Believe', by Mark Snow**

**I had to play with the time lines a bit, since I wanted to fit this story into my canon. So we're pretending Season 7 of the X-Files took place in 2010, not 1999.**

**FBI Headquarters, Washington, District of Columbia:**

**July 4th , 2010:**

The pencil thwacked into the suspended ceiling, quivered, and stayed there in the cheap tiles, hanging, along with a couple of dozen others, like a bizarre porcupine sculpture. Mulder looked at it, musing. Waiting for his partner. He tapped another one against the sole of his shoe, impatiently.

Two more joined the congregation on the ceiling before the determined click of her high heels was heard on the old linoleum floor of the hallway. He turned in his broken-down chair, anticipating the moment she would open the door.

"Scully," he smiled, his eyes lighting with pleasure.

"Mulder. There are such things as Sundays in the Park with my sister's kids, you know? Especially on the Fourth. What kind of bee do you have in your bonnet this time? Do you _realize_ it's 5 am?"

"Ooh. Somebody's a little grumpy this morning. I'm going to take you for a nice café mocha on the way to the airport. C'mon, Scully. You're gonna love this. And we're _going_ to a park. A great _big_ one. The Olympic National Park, near Seattle."

"Mulder," she huffed, looking at the floor and counting to ten in her head.

Mulder sprang up from his chair, and squeezed her rigid shoulders. Unconsciously, Scully melted against his beautiful hands. His much-wanted touch. Not that she would admit that to herself. They were playing a game. Dancing around the idea that they were more than friends.

They were afraid to be more than friends. The FBI did not allow partners to date. The Powers that Be, save Executive Director Skinner (who kept his suspicions to himself), would jump on any excuse to split them up. And the X-Files would be done away with for good.

"Scul-ly," he wheedled, "Come _on_. Dana, this is going to be great. A real adventure. I promise, if you want time in the park, I will take you out in the wilderness for a _real _walk. See the redwoods, the wildflowers, the mountains..." he sang, painting pictures in her head. " I bet we could even fit in a trip to the Hot Springs before the brass kick our asses home."

"Hot Springs?" she asked weakly.

"Ye-ah. You should bring your bathing suit. But you'll need your raincoat, too, because it rains a lot there. And good boots. None of those high heels, you hear me? I don't want to be carrying you around the Rainforest with a twisted ankle." Of their own volition, his fingers were trailing up and down her arm, picturing her in a black bikini, not in her formal business attire. He had to admire her fabulous legs. A bikini would let him see all of them.

Not that he hadn't seen her naked, when he pulled her out of the alien ship in the Antarctic, but there hadn't been time to enjoy. Besides, she had been unconscious.

Having her naked and conscious would be _so_ much more fun, he decided. Especially if nothing was trying to kill them at the time.

"Well, it has been a long time since I saw Mount Olympus," Scully waffled. Scully could never say 'no' to Mulder. Why was that? Life would be so much simpler if only she could tell him 'no'. But that's what love does. It makes you compromise on stuff you don't want to compromise on. Like Sundays off.

"Please, Scully? Please? Come with me?" Mulder asked softly, wishing he could reach out and touch her silky hair.

Scully looked at his full, soft lips, resisting the urge to close the distance between them, and suck the lower one between her teeth. They had kissed, way back on New Year's. Perhaps the kiss was longer than a kiss between friends ought to be. Perhaps it hadn't been long _enough_. No, it _definitely_ had not been long enough.

She had not stopped thinking about kissing Mulder since. It was only a normal human reaction to a nice-looking specimen that made her feminine parts twitch, she told herself. Only normal to want someone who shared such a special bond with her.

Even if they did disagree on practically everything.

Consequently, she had to make excuses not to go on this trip.

"I don't have anywhere to put Queequag," she protested.

"Then _bring_ him. Dana? That dog needs to be a dog. He's been shut in apartments most of his sad, ridiculously fluffy little life like a stuffed toy. Bring him out. Let him run around. Chase some Douglas Squirrels or something."

Summertime on the Olympic Peninsula. It would almost be like a holiday. Except for one thing.

Scully sighed, bowing her head. Her lovely red hair hung in a sheet over her eyes. It smelled like lilacs. How Mulder relished that scent. He wanted to put his fists into her hair, and drag her face up, and kiss her so thoroughly that she would forget to be proper, and throw herself around him, and let him take her right there on top of her ever-so-organized desk. He would push up her skirt and ...

Scully shut her eyes, remonstrating with herself. "What's the case?" she moaned.

Mulder couldn't resist taking her face between his hands and planting a feather-light kiss on her soft mouth. He sped away from her, intent on giving his usual slide show. Because his back was turned, he didn't see how she caught herself in the act of reaching out for him, or see the conflicted look in her eyes as she touched her lips with confused fingers. She smoothed her skirt with damp palms, marshaling her thoughts.

"Olympic Peninsula, Washington State," he began. "Since May, there have been a series of unexplained deaths, all with the same characteristics, progressively more daring. Four murders, of people who apparently have nothing in common. The work of a person, or persons, unknown.

"A well-renowned surgeon has been threatened. Since the first body was found, he appears to have been the target. Each victim has been found with a sign around its neck, painted with the words 'Carlisle Cullen' in blood. To wit, said doctor's name. The doctor has been able to account for all his time, around the time of the murders. He shrugs off any warning that someone may be out to kill him.

"Aside from that, he and his family have been less than forthcoming. And the police chief, Charles Swan, a very respectable individual with an excellent track record, whose daughter is _married_ to the doctor's youngest _son_, has also been less than helpful.

"They _know_, Scully. They know who is doing this. And they're _not telling_. Perhaps they're being blackmailed. Or else it's someone they know. The whole bunch of them are sealed up tighter than a virgin's a-"

Mulder!" Scully exclaimed, exasperated. "Would you _kindly_ get to the point? Obviously, for some reason, you think this is an X-File. I haven't heard anything inexplicable yet." Scully hugged herself, half-hoping that Mulder would come up with some reason to justify the trip.

"Two things, Scully. First? The bodies."

"What about them?" she insisted.

Mulder put up his first slide. "The first victim, Randall Williams, Caucasian, age 46, as you see, grossly obese, was found sitting up in the high school cafeteria in Forks, on a Monday afternoon. Nobody saw how he got there. Quite the lunchtime entrée, wouldn't you say?" Mulder flashed the next slide.

"The second victim, Toby Brightman, African American, age 22, was found outside the downtown Piggly Wiggly in Seattle, at six o'clock on the following Friday night. Again, nobody knows how he got seated at that picnic table."

Mulder clicked on the third slide. "Sheila Cooper. Found sitting in a booth at the Bella Italia Restaurant in Port Angeles, at 8pm a week from that Saturday. There was a 20 minute wait to get into the restaurant that night, and _nobody saw anybody dump the body_."

"So they've all been found at busy times of day, in locations suggestive of eating," Scully summarized.

"All except the most recent victim. Margery Thompson, Quileute Tribe, was found twenty feet up a Douglas Fir, at a small Native community called La Push. The locals there have been particularly resistant to helping the authorities.

"The wounds inflicted on the victims are different. And the evidence shows more than one killer is likely involved. But they _all_ have one thing in common," he enthused.

"What's that?" Scully asked, curious in spite of herself.

"The bodies. They're _totally_ exsanguinated. Not a _drop_ of blood left in them." He waited, smugly, for her to tell him he was right. It was definitely a case for the X-Files.

"Aw, Mulder? You want us to fly across the entire country to chase vampires again? You must be kidding me, right? We've already been through it once, and that was enough for me."

"You ought to believe it's possible, based on previous experience. And there's something else." He waited, hook baited, for her to bite.

"What's that, Mulder?" Scully moaned weakly.

"The doctor, and his family? They're like, totally creepy according to most of the locals. They moved to Forks in the year 2001. Cullen and his wife couldn't have kids, so they adopted two adolescent boys and a girl, and fostered a pair of twins who later married the eldest son and the daughter. It's the youngest son who's married to the Swan girl. Anyhow, most of the locals don't trust them, although the youngest has managed to make some friends who remember him fondly. Nobody's seen him or his wife since their wedding five years ago. People thought the young couple moved away although he still pays taxes and claims principal residency at the father's address. He did marry within the community, so you'd think he'd be part of it.

"The Cullens are extremely pale and cold to the touch. The officer from Seattle told me. And the local rumour mill is rife with stories about them. People claim they all have the same health condition, and it includes a _lot_ of food allergies. The eight of them all live together in a mansion out in the woods. They're richer than the Catholic Church."

"Sounds like small-town outsider prejudice to me," Scully decided.

"Yeah. But then, there's _this_," Mulder said, ante-ing up. He flashed a picture of the doctor's hospital ID up on the screen. "Look at the year, Scully."

"2002. So what?" Scully asked. The doctor looked like a nice man. She didn't like the thought of him being insulted just because he was new to the town. She didn't like gossip.

"Look at this one," Mulder said excitedly, flashing another picture ID.

"2010."

"He hasn't aged a _day,_" Mulder said passionately. "Now, this one." He played his trump. A hospital ID from Alaska, dated 1997.

Scully edged closer to the screen, frowning. Mulder put the two pictures up beside each other. The photos were virtually identical. Thirteen years apart.

"How old is this doctor?" Scully asked, the clinical part of her brain kicking in.

"According to his British immigration papers? Thirty-eight."

"But ... he looks like ... a college kid."

"And get this." Mulder put up a new slide. "This is his youngest son, Edward. He's twenty-four."

"He ... doesn't look old enough to shave," Scully remarked, forehead wrinkling.

"His wife, Isabella, age twenty-four." Click. "His sister, Alice, twenty-six." Click. "His brother, Emmett, twenty-eight." Click. "His mother, Esme, thirty-eight."

Scully gasped. "There is _no way _any of them can be that old. And they all look alike. Are you _sure_ they're not biologically related?"

"Yep. Got the adoption certificates right here." Mulder patted his folder happily. "And there's one more Cullen. She's also adopted. Her birth certificate says her father was William Masen, biological brother to Edward Cullen. He and his wife were killed in a car crash nearly five years ago, leaving their infant daughter to be raised by Edward and Isabella. They changed her name from Elizabeth Marie Masen to Renesmee Carlie Masen Cullen. It's common knowledge that she was named after both grandmothers and grandfathers as Edward openly admits to being sterile and they wanted to honour their parents. The child was born November 20th, 2005.

"So they got her when she was little, and they're raising her. That's very good of them, Mulder. What's so strange about that?" Scully asked grumpily.

"She's _ageing prematurely_. According to her medical file, administered by her _grandfather_, the child has developed to the equivalent physical maturity of a ten-year-old."

"A very small percentage of children are born, who age prematurely, Mulder. Some are born fully-formed after only a few months gestation. It doesn't mean there's anything supernatural going on," Scully protested strongly.

"But _look _at her, Scully. Just look," Mulder coaxed.

The picture of the child flashed up on the screen, and Scully stared, transfixed.

Bronze curls engulfed a heart-shaped face, with the strange topaz eyes shared by all the Cullens. The child was exquisite. Scully's heart panged. Except for the eye colour, she could very well have been Emily.

Mulder clicked his projector again, putting the pictures of Edward and his wife up on either side of the child's.

Renesmee Cullen was the spitting image of her adopted mother. And the way her hair curled, along with the colour, matched her adopted father's exactly.

"Your a doctor, Scully. You _tell _me they're not her parents," Mulder challenged, pacing.

"I don't know, Mulder. You probably don't have any pictures of William Masen or his wife, right?"

"No, and I grant you she could look like her uncle as much as she could look like her father. But the shape of the face. It's just like her so-called aunt's. And her mouth. Look at that. I'm telling you, Scully, that's their kid. Why would they lie about it?"

"Well, they'd have been pretty young when she was born," Scully suggested. "If, indeed, the child is theirs, they might have been afraid of the local grapevine."

"Afraid enough to concoct a complicated story about her birth? Afraid enough to obtain false documentation concerning her adoption? Afraid enough to construct birth parents who don't exist?"

"What do you mean, 'birth parents who don't exist' ?" Scully frowned.

"Exactly what I said. There are no records anywhere, confirming the existence of William and Lizzie Masen. No tax records, no birth or death certificates, no proof of residency or immigration. I'm telling you, Scully, the document in my hand is a masterful forgery. An elaborate ruse to keep people from finding out the truth."

"And what truth is that?" Scully asked, eyeing Mulder skeptically.

"That the Cullens are immortals, and that child is special, and the biological child of Edward and Isabella Cullen." Mulder turned off his slide projector, looking as though he would like to take a bow. "So. The plane leaves at 9 am. We need to get busy. We'll leave my car here, and take yours home so you can pack and get Queequag. Then, we'll catch a cab to the airport, okay?"

"Fine," Scully sighed, eyes rolling. Why did life have to be so complicated?


	2. Chapter 2: The Vision

**Chapter 2: The Vision**

**Janiriki made a suggestion in jest that I'm adding here. Thanks, J.**

**Mimi asked me if vampires didn't know about Photoshop. Well, when Renesmee was born, they did, indeed, do a lot of Photoshopping. But you can't very well Photoshop a driver's license, a doctor's ID, or a yearbook picture. Difficult to get access to those photos.**

**Eternally Cullen, Camilla10 and bananacupcake09, this chap's for you, as well as Anthony. Thanks for the praise:)**

**Anthony is loving his pressie, btw, and has currently read one chapter ahead of where we are right now. He's suggested a funny moment or three, as well.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is merely coincidental.**

**Music for this chapter can be found at youtubedotcom/jmollytwilight2, on the playlist 'Twi-Files: The Truth', beginning at #2:**

**'From a Distance', by Bette Midler**

**o~o~0~o~o**

**The Olympic Rainforest, 30 miles outside Forks, Washington State:**

"He's coming for us," the fairy-like girl intoned solemnly.

"When, Alice?" the bronze-haired boy growled forcefully.

"Easy, Edward," the blond Goth warned, eyes narrowing.

"Sorry, Jasper."

"Soon," Alice said, unperturbed. "Within the next few weeks."

"Well, we've been expecting it for a long time," the white-blond patriarch shrugged. "He's had time to regroup. Collect new coven members. But it won't be any worse than Victoria."

"Don't be too sure, Carlisle," the large, muscular young man growled.

"Of course, Emmett. You're right."

"So what's to be done?" Edward asked, frowning pensively as he stared at his interlaced hands on the tabletop.

"We'll have to move," Carlisle responded quietly. "It's not like it's premature anyway. We've been here a long time. We've been pushing it, staying this long. I've only kept us here because of Charlie."

There was a small sob, and the beautiful blonde started to cry. She leaned on Emmett's shoulder, and he kissed the top of her head consolingly. "It's okay, Rosie. I know you hate moving, but we'll find somewhere nice. And we can always spend more time in the Amazon with the colony."

"Yeah, I'd like that," she sniffed.

"That okay with you, Dom Cullen?" Emmett teased.

Edward gave his brother a disgusted look. "Shut up, you sappy date. This is serious. People are dying."

"Sorry, Tough Guy," he said, chagrined.

"We've been sloppy," Edward announced. "It's time to tidy up. Hack some computers, and get rid of old photos."

"Can't get rid of yearbooks," The mother said, eyes downcast.

"Can't get rid of that magazine spread you subjected me to, either," Edward complained. "Rosalie? Alice? I know it was in fun, and I know you all love those photos, but I still don't get what you loons were thinking, displaying me and Bella to the public like that."

The girls looked sad. "It's been five years," Rosalie answered. "I thought you forgave me."

Edward looked at the table, then nodded curtly. "I'm sorry, Rose. It's just that those photos, being popular, put everyone I love at risk. It makes me anxious."

Alice attempted to explain, for the thousandth time. "Your engagement photos were just so romantic, Edward. And the one of you asleep on the beach? You can't deny they're beautiful. Well, we wanted to show you off a little, I guess. And all our kind saw it, and loved them. Who was to know the humans wouldn't be able to forget about them? Usually their attention spans are so short."

Edward scoffed. "Not about things that appeal to them. Look at the photo of that sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square."

"It hardly compares," Rosalie began to argue.

"Thank God," Edward huffed.

"Children, enough! Stone the crows!" Carlisle ran a hand through his hair, reminiscent of Edward.

"Sorry, Dad," they chorused.

"No use crying over spilt milk. Don't hold a grudge, Edward," Carlisle said softly. "Your sisters couldn't have known we'd be attacked this way, and people would start looking into our past. We've always stayed under the radar before. Even during the fight with the Volturi."

"We've gotten complacent," Edward said, biting his lip anxiously.

"Yes. We need to houseclean," Carlisle conceded. "Jazz? Can you get rid of some old DMVs and hospital records, maybe change some dates in government files? Add an obscure file about Ren's birth parents?"

"Yeah, I can try," Jasper said, lips thinning.

"Should we call Aro?" the mother wondered.

"Not yet, Esme," Carlisle responded. "Let's see if we can solve this on our own before it gets any more out of hand.

"We could just kill him,"Jasper suggested, looking dangerous. A few people at the table looked supportive. The majority looked taken aback.

"That's not who we are," Carlisle stated quietly. "We can easily disappear. There's no need to harm an innocent man."

"That man is known for his tenacity," Emmett countered. "What if he exposes us? Even Aro won't turn a blind eye to that. What if the Volturi get involved? A lot of people could die. What's one human compared to all the people who will die if the Volturi come? Everyone in Forks, La Push, Rio and the colony in the Amazon will be wiped out, including us."

Edward traced a pattern on the beautiful, highly-lacquered, wood-grained table top. "We don't even know if he's a real threat, Em. I've read some of his cases. Usually, he collects some facts, assembles them rapidly and throws out guesses. Usually, there does end up being something squiffy going on, but the solution to the case usually doesn't turn out to be his first hypothesis.

"So he's made some good guesses. So what? We've had to defend ourselves against the curious thousands of times. It doesn't mean he's going to expose us. We have warning, we can leave," Edward reasoned. "Frankly, I'm more worried about the harm our enemies are doing. We need to stop them from killing these innocents."

There were more murmurs of assent around the table.

"Mulder and Scully have to live. And don't forget who his real father is. We don't want FEMA looking for us, too," the spiky-haired, tiny Alice said, quashing all arguments perfunctorily.

"So ... you're leaving?" the Quileute youth asked, looking brokenhearted.

"You can come with us if you want, Jacob," Edward shrugged softly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I want to come with you," Jacob said.

"Okay," Edward affirmed.

"But ... what about Angela's wedding? I abandoned her once, and she was devastated. We promised we'd do her wedding, and it's only a month away," the mahogany-haired beauty protested. "I can't let her down. We _can't_ just leave."

"You'll go if Carlisle tells you to," Rosalie snapped. Then she dropped her eyes, sorry for her outburst. "It's part of being a Cullen, Bella," she said more softly.

Bella looked from Rosalie to Carlisle, her eyes desperate.

"Okay, calm down. We don't have to go, just yet. I _See_ us getting in our cars, with the house empty, the day after Angela's wedding. We'll still be here for her. No need to get upset, sisters," Alice said soothingly.

"You're sure everyone will remain safe if we don't leave immediately?" Carlisle checked.

"Yes. The man, Mulder, is a good person. He won't hurt us. He's curious about unexplained mysteries, that's all," Alice shrugged.

"Well, that's okay, isn't it?" the caramel-haired Esme wondered, holding hands with the patriarch. "We've interacted with people who were curious before."

"Yes. We can deal with this calmly. Have you _Seen_ anything else, Alice?" Carlisle wondered.

"This man is extremely curious about Edward," Alice announced.

Emmett snorted. "Jasper, I know you're _reaaally_ curious about Edward."

Jasper squawked. "I thought it was you who was _reaaally_ curious about him, _Emmy Bear_."

"Fuck off," Edward mouthed, his eyes flashing black as he flipped his brothers the bird. Speaking at normal volume, he said, "Not in front of the kinder, please."

Alice's eyes rolled. "He will want to get to know you, Hon'. He's going to be fascinated by your bond with Bella. See, he's coming to a crossroads with his partner. Either they'll keep their relationship professional or they'll get married someday."

"Great," Edward said, pinching between his eyes with his fingers and thumb. "Now I'm Dear Abby to a human. Are they meant to marry, Alice?"

"Good odds that they will. They're meant to be together at any rate," she shrugged. "Everything I _See_ about him is hazy, but someday there's going to be a huge war. A global war, I think. And Mulder is going to save us all somehow. That bit is a hundred percent clear. He needs his mate's support. They'll always be together, whether they marry or not.

"I'll check them out," Edward said softly. "See whether we should distract them with some romance long enough to accomplish our tasks."

Alice's eyes flickered around the assembled people. "There's something else. He deals, as you know, with the Paranormal. There really are aliens. They're not... friendly. The war will involve them, and secret sectors of the government."

There was a collective groan around the large, oval table.

"Aren't there enough mythical creatures running around Forks, Alice?" Bella exclaimed.

"Hey. Not my idea," Alice grimaced, throwing out her hands.

"So how do we get out of the soup?" Jasper asked softly, the music of the South sweetening his words.

"We play it cool," Carlisle ordered. "Keep the secret."

There was a murmur of assent. The family continued to sit, each member lost in his or her own thoughts. There was a small rustle, and a child's hand emerged from underneath the table.

The bronze-haired little girl crawled out from under it, her pink tutu and peony-covered hairband contrasting sharply with her hair. She stood hesitantly beside her father.

"Daddy?"

"Ren," he acknowledged.

"Nessie!" she corrected impatiently. "Do we really have to move?"

"Yes, love. I'm sorry. We can never stay in one place too long. The good news is, Jacob can come with us, and living in new places can be lots of fun. You'll find all sorts of new things to do," her father promised, brushing back her hair from her forehead.

"But we won't have Grandpa, or Uncle Seth, or Auntie Leah, or Grandma Sue. Or Auntie Ang and Uncle Ben. And we won't have the wolves," she said, bottom lip quivering.

"You know we can run back here in a number of hours," Edward crooned. "We'll see them as often as you want, Baby."

"But I was born upstairs. And we'll have to leave the cottage. I won't have my room," the child sniffled.

Rosalie got up, excusing herself, her face crumpled. After a moment, her husband excused himself and followed her.

"That's true," Bella said. "But you will have new places to love. And you'll have all your things with you, to make you feel at home."

"Can I bring my goldfish?" Renesmee whimpered. A handful of affectionate chuckles passed around the table.

"Of course you can," Edward promised, looking at his daughter earnestly. He held out his arms and the child crawled into his lap. Bella put her arms around them both, and they cuddled.

"The trees," Renesmee sniffled. "I will miss them so, Daddy. Who will I tell secrets to?" she worried.

"Hush, Kiddo. There will be lots of trees, wherever we go. But I'm hoping there will be some other kids, too. Real people to play with. Friends who talk back," Edward said kindly.

"I _See_ Ren playing with Claire," Alice said tonelessly, her eyes black.

"See?" Edward asked, smiling crookedly. "Sam is going to let you play with Claire, now that she's bigger. Won't that be nice?"

"I'm taller than her," the child said grumpily.

"Yeah, but she's older than you," Bella reminded her daughter.

"I don't want to play with her. I don't want to go. I want to stay here and keep everything the same," Renesmee growled, throwing herself off her father's knee. "It's not fair!" she shouted in his face, and stomped away. After a few minutes, they could hear the door slam, and her bawling cries as she ran out to the forest.

Edward looked at the table, shattered. He hated it when his daughter was upset. It was his fault, for being what he was.

Bella ran her fingers through his hair, consolingly. "Want me to handle it?" she asked.

"Nah. You know how she is when she gets like this, Minx. I'll do it." Edward got up, kissed Bella chastely, squeezed his mother's hand in passing, and followed his daughter out. By the dining room door, he paused, turned, and shared a look with his wife. His eyes warmed, for a moment, then darkened. "Faith," he said, saluting her.

"Hope," she replied, saluting back. They smiled at each other. In a flash, he disappeared, as though he had never been there.

Bella turned back to the remaining members of the family. "So what happens to the house and our cottage?" she asked sadly.

"I can't bear to sell them," Esme admitted, blinking as though holding back tears.

"No. We've been too happy here. After a generation or two, we can come back," Carlisle said, kissing his wife's hand. "Perhaps we can find caretakers," he said without enthusiasm.

"Humans in our house?" Jasper barked. "In Bella's cottage?"

"No. Our kind. Perhaps the Denalis need a relocate, too. Perhaps we can swap for a while."

"I'll call Tanya and ask," Esme offered.

"Thank you, Milady," Carlisle sighed.

"And the cottage?" Jasper pressed.

"We'll have to think about it. Maybe we can just close it up," Carlisle suggested.

"Uh, if you'll excuse me, please, I think I'd better go talk to the pack," Jacob said.

"Certainly. Give our regards to Sam and Billy," Carlisle said, smiling a little.

"Sure, sure. See ya, Bells." he waved at her, and left.

"Bye, Jake." Bella looked down, her golden eyes sad. "I need to find a caretaker for the cottage. Edward won't want Tanya using our bed."

"No. Last time she desecrated your space, he was devastated," Esme agreed. "Perhaps one of your friends, Bella? Or Seth?"

"Seth is going to Columbia in September," Bella informed her family, shaking her head.

"Wow. Good for him. Ivy League. So what's he taking?" Esme asked.

"Arts Degree. Film, English, Photography and Drama. He wants to be the next Fellini."

"He's talented enough," Esme smiled.

"We need to plan for our possessions and our disappearances. A month isn't much time to sort out all our clutter, stop a monster, and get the humans off our trail," Carlisle stated, interrupting the rapidly diverging conversation.

"We'll have to sort out the closets," Alice lamented, getting up. "C'mon Jazz. Will you help me start collecting stuff for the Sally Ann?"

"Of course, darling. I'd be pleased to help you. But I suggest we give it to the Lutheran church ladies to sell on e-Bay. Giving your duds to the Sally Ann would be like seeing Oprah on the subway. But first, let me see to some of our electronic trail." Jasper put a hand to the small of Alice's back, accompanying her out of the room. As he left, he turned to salute Bella self-mockingly. "Charity," he winked.

A moment later, Bella got up with a sigh. "Better go phone Charlie," she muttered, eyes rolling, and strode out.

"Faith, hope and charity, these three. But the greatest of these is love," Carlisle sighed, leaning back in the chair and drumming his fingers on the table. "A new day, Mother," he murmured pensively.

"One day at a time, Dr Teeth," she smiled encouragingly. They looked at each other, eyes twinkling.


	3. Chapter 3: Cabin for Two

**Chapter 3: Cabin for Two**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is merely coincidental.**

**Music for this chapter can be found at youtubedotcom/jmollytwilight2, on the playlist 'Twi-Files: The Truth', beginning at #3:**

**'Meet Me Halfway', by the Black Eyed Peas**

**To learn about porphyria, go to porphyriafoundationdotcom/about**

**July 4th, 2010:**

**At a Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort:**

"How on earth did you get the Finance Department to sign off on this?" Scully asked, gobsmacked. She set her suitcase and dog carrier down in the cabin's sitting room, looking around incredulously.

"Believe it or not, because it's the peak season for tourists, this is the cheapest thing available within 300 miles. Happy Fourth of July."

"You're kidding," Scully gawped. She walked around the cabin, opening doors and peering in. "Bathroom's here," she indicated. "Wow. Jacuzzi? We're at a hot spring. Why would anybody need a Jacuzzi at a hot spring resort, Mulder?"

"Maybe if it rains," he said absently, checking out the kitchen. There were four sets of plates and cups in the cupboard, and a fry-pan on the stove, and cutlery in the drawer. Little fridge. No food. Not even a ridiculously over-priced mini-bar. Definitely no gift basket. Oh, well. They could always pick some groceries up at the Piggly Wiggly while they were there. Or else they could eat out. As usual.

It had been a long, and very tiring day. Seeing as they had a lot of territory to cover, they had gone straight from the airport to the morgue in Seattle, and Scully had examined the two most recent victims. She found something odd. Something that had Mulder crowing smugly. Both bodies had a couple of teeth marks in them. Marks that someone amateur had attempted to disguise by cutting, tearing, and otherwise abusing the soft tissues of the bodies.

At least she had determined that the victims had already been dead at the time. Scully completed her reports, and requests for lab testing, made her molds of the teeth marks, and asked the coroner to hold the bodies a couple more days.

Whilst Scully was doing these unpleasant jobs, Mulder was interviewing the homicide detective in charge of the case. He didn't really learn anything more than he already knew. Except for one thing: He never wanted to take care of Queequag for Dana again, even if it did earn him brownie points.

The animal didn't like him. Admittedly, Mulder didn't like it, either. Queequag viewed him as a threat to the relationship he had with his mistress. Mulder viewed Queequag as some kind of sick monster, since he had snacked on his former, dearly departed owner instead of electing to starve to death. Dana hadn't had him very long and Mulder wasn't over it.

The first time he'd been at Dana's, and the dog had humped his leg, he had hoofed it across the room when she wasn't looking. As a result, the dog had decided he was Enemy Number One. Plus, the dog didn't want to take a leak while wearing its leash. And there was no way Mulder was taking it off-leash. The damn thing would run off and get itself killed, just to spite him.

After she was finished with the autopsies, Scully had showered at the hospital, put her business attire back on, and sidestepped the comments of the flirtatious coroner. She then met up with Mulder to discuss their findings and thank him for taking care of the dog.

There was plenty of speculation, to Mulder's delight, in the car during the four hour drive north east, to Sol Duc. They located the resort (no problem there), presented themselves, and were directed to their cabin.

When they saw how nice it was, compared to the places they were accustomed to staying, a lot of their weariness melted away.

"I call this room," Scully yelled cheerfully from somewhere inside it. She returned to the main room to get Queequag's carrier, porting it to the bedroom she'd chosen.

" 'Kay," Mulder said, unzipping his laptop case and pulling out his papers and files. There was a desk in the corner of the main room beside the TV armoire. Mulder carried his stuff over to it, and discovered WiFi. He smiled smugly, and arranged things the way he liked them. That is to say, he dumped everything in a heap.

He stood, hands on hips, staring at the blank expanse of wall above the desk, wondering if he could get away with putting up a cork board for his notes and clippings. Of course, if he could get settled quickly, there might just be time for a little fun. A few fireworks. Not that Dana would be game.

But no sense in skipping the opportunity to flirt. Someday, it might just get him somewhere. "I can't seem to find the stationery in here. Can you come and help me?" he drawled in a very bad British accent.

"Very funny, Mister Bond." Dana's voice sounded odd. All huffy. And he could hear banging, and the squeaking of bed-springs. _What_ could she be up to?

Mulder got up casually and walked to the bathroom, and movement from the next open doorway immediately caught his eye. His partner was bouncing up and down on the bed like a kid. The stupid damn dog watched adoringly from his cage on the floor, with his front paws crossed.

"Wow, Scully. It's been too long since I took you someplace nice," Mulder remarked, gawping a little. It wasn't like Dana to be playful. He stared at her tits, wondering how the hell she kept them from jiggling around. The woman must wear iron brassieres.

He could live with that.

"All work and no play makes Fox a dull boy," she flirted, kneeling on the bed with her hair falling over one eye. It was tousled and hot and made Mulder want to launch himself across the room at her. But he didn't, because it might ruin everything they had. And he couldn't bear to lose Dana Scully.

But that knowledge was not enough to keep heat from surging straight to his groin. "I hope you brought a nice dress, Scully. I'm taking you out to dinner tonight," he stated as she shrugged out of her rain jacket.

"Every time you say that, we get in some crisis where somebody kidnaps one of us, or puts us in the hospital, or something," she dismissed him, pulling out her gun and holster, and setting them on in the bedside table. She unpacked her handcuffs and put them with the gun. Her pencil skirt hitched up as she crawled around on the bed. Mulder tried not to drool all over the rug.

"Fine. We'll wing it instead of making plans. I'm good at winging it," he shrugged, riveted to the picture before him, as she rolled to the side of the bed and stood up. Was that a white thong under the skirt?

"Yeah. You're great at winging it," Scully confirmed, pulling her suitcase over and opening it so she could unpack. "So where do we start?" she called to Mulder, who was beating a strategic retreat to the main room to adjust himself before she noticed his wood. Yeah, he could think of some fireworks, alright.

"We're going to see the police chief in Forks first thing in the morning," he told his partner. "So the big question is, _where_ do we find dinner tonight?"

"Why don't we kill two birds with one stone?" Scully suggested. "We can eat at La Bella Italia, and do some interviews at the same time."

Somewhere along the line, he mused, their roles had been reversed. Dana was the one working ceaselessly for the X-Files, and Mulder was the one who wanted a night off. How out of character.

Mulder sighed, exasperated. "Scully, I was not thinking about starting interviews tonight. I was thinking about taking a lovely woman out to dinner on a Sunday evening, relaxing, maybe go to the hot springs later to wind down? A quiet night."

Scully hesitated, torn. "Mulder, that sounds kind of like a ... date," she said, chewing her lip.

"Hey, we go out all the time," Mulder protested.

"Well, then,... can I make a suggestion?" Scully asked.

"Always. You know how I value your opinion." Mulder said earnestly.

"It's been a long day. And God knows how long we'll be allowed to stay here, which means an early start tomorrow and another long day to try and speed things along. How 'bout we order a pizza and a movie and stay in? I'll even put on the dress if you want."

_Wow. A concession without any argument_, Mulder thought. "Okay. But you don't have to dress up. I'd rather spend a casual evening together, actually."

"Jammies?"

"Yep."

"I can't believe I said 'pizza'," Scully said, eyes rolling. "The last time we had a run-in with vampires, the trouble started with the pizza."

"Can't be the same MO as Ronnie Strickland," Mulder said. "There are too many different kinds of vampire. This one won't be drugging the pizza while posing as a delivery guy. We should be safe with pizza. Just don't ask for Chinese."

"Okay. I think I'll go get a shower, if you don't mind. You want to order?"

"Fully loaded?" Mmm. _That_ could be taken a couple of ways. Mulder eyed Scully with heavy lids.

"You bet."

_Yeah._ "Okay. Scoot."

Twenty minutes later, Scully came out of the bathroom, clad in aquamarine blue satin pyjamas, with her hair damp and make-up free. Mulder was just glad that she wasn't wearing the green mud pack.

He hadn't seen her wearing this little number before. True, it was nothing more than a short-sleeved button-down with matching boxers, but it made her legs look like they went on forever.

She pulled up a spot on the sofa across from the TV, crossing her legs -God help him- on the seat, and Mulder, clad in his faded black sweat pants and t-shirt, slipped his arm around her shoulders per usual.

He really hoped she wouldn't notice his hard-on. Unless, of course, that meant she was willing to do something about it.

It was a comfortable routine for them to unwind together this way, although the pyjamas only happened if they were away from home. But Saturday nights were often spent renting something to watch. They liked each others' company. They didn't call it dating. They just said they were spending time together. Like friends.

Only tonight, for some reason, Mulder was having a real problem reining in his dick.

It had been years since either of them had dated anybody.

It had been a long time since he'd gotten laid.

It had been a long, long time since he'd wanted to be with anybody but Dana Scully.

Fifteen minutes later, the pizza and Coke arrived. They set themselves up with the pizza box on the coffee table, glad to have actual plates to eat off of, and settled in to watch "She's Out of My League."

They enjoyed their pizza and some friendly banter, and laughed aloud at the movie, which didn't seem to miss a joke about the follies of dating and relationships. The pair, who were normally pretty close-mouthed about past dating disasters, even shared a couple of war stories.

Scully found it necessary to let Queequag out of his cage. After slurping up his dinner and water, and doing a quick jobby outside, he decided his evening's entertainment would be to get between that interloping Mulder person and his kind mistress.

Mulder was not impressed. Of course, the _dog _was the interloper. He and Scully had been spending their nights off this way for at least ... four or five years. Albeit with more clothing. But, seeing as the Pomeranian was snapping at him, and practically dancing on his balls, Mulder figured there was nothing to be done, but give up and back off to the far side of the couch. The dog was really cramping his style.

But, to his amazement, for once, Scully wasn't impressed either. "Queequag!" she scolded. "Bad dog. No bark. Bad."

The dog darted up her front to lick her face. Lucky little bastard. Scully pushed him down. "You come back and sit like you were, Mulder," Scully directed, grasping the dog firmly. Mulder slid over and put his arm back around his partner. The dog, predictably, went ballistic.

"Can't you put him away?" Mulder whined, backing off again and protecting his junk. The animal was a total cock-blocker, he decided.

"You're going to have to dominate him," Scully decided.

Mulder gawped. "I'm gonna have to _what_?"

"Dominate him. You don't watch 'The Dog Whisperer', do you?"

"No," Mulder replied, nonplussed. His idea of a good show would be a 1950's B-movie about aliens. Or porn. He watched a lot of porn. More and more since he stopped dating. And started taking his partner seriously. And started thinking she was hot enough to melt the polar icecaps.

"Well, there's this guy on TV who trains dogs, and he says you have to be firm with them and not allow them to feel like they're the boss. The human has to be calm and collected and boss the dog and never be unkind to it," Scully informed him.

"And how's that going with Queequag?" Mulder asked, eyeing the dog like it was a demon from the darkest pits of Hell. All his teeth were showing. The dog's, too.

"Pretty well, actually. Honestly, Mulder, I won't let him bite you. Come back here. Scootch over."

"Alright Scully."

"Now, if he starts misbehaving, I'm going to hold him down on his side and tell him 'no'. Then, you touch me casually a couple of times. If he barks again, I'll hold him down again. We'll keep on with that, while you act cool. Then, I bet he'll calm down for good."

"That would be nice, Scully," Mulder said, wondering what kind of touches were actually considered casual, and what would be considered over-the-line.

Half an hour later, the damn dog was sitting on his lap, grinning, tongue lolling happily. Scully was smiling smugly. And Mulder was still looking uncomfortable.

When the movie was over, there was a little awkwardness. How do you sit chastely with somebody you're secretly in love with, after watching a really romantic, sweet movie? Easy. You don't.

Scully suggested taking Queequag for a walk. So, they got dressed again, and put him on his leash, and had a little walk around the resort. The damn dog just wouldn't go. Not that the management was likely to be too impressed with the dog crapping on its grass anyhow. They elected, therefore, to take a little walk down a well-beaten path.

"It's darker than the Black Oil out here," Mulder complained.

"Don't even mention that crap, Mulder. You're giving me the heebie-jeebies," Scully shuddered, hanging onto his arm with one hand and Queequag's red-handled, extendable leash with the other.

"It's like that place down South where we found those predators with the red eyes, that Mothman thing," Mulder continued morbidly, undeterred.

"Mulder! Stop," Scully whined.

"Seriously. I feel like we're being watched," Mulder said, pursing his lips.

There was a 'snick', and a small light appeared in the darkness ahead of them. Two pale faces were made visible by it. A battery-powered lantern, they realized.

The couple was young, Mulder and Scully realized. And familiar.

The young man smiled gently, holding hands with his wife. "Hello," he said, his voice velvety as a chocolate chiffon pie.

"Hi," Mulder answered, bemused.

"Charming night for a walk, but you want to be careful where you go," the beautiful boy said. "Are you staying at the resort?"

"Yes," Scully answered.

"Nice place. Here for your anniversary?" he wondered.

"Uh, no. Business," Mulder answered, wondering how he was going to initiate a conversation that didn't make the couple aware that they were being investigated. Scully blushed.

Their conversational companion looked disconcerted. "Oh," he said lamely. "You look married."

"Yeah, we get that a lot," Scully claimed.

The young man held up the lantern again. Queequag went nuts, and tried to attack him. Swiftly, he reached out, poked the dog in the side of the neck, and said 'Chtt'. The dog shut up and sat on its haunches. The young man stood straight again.

"Dog Whisperer," Scully said excitedly.

"Um, yeah," the youth said, brushing his fingers through his messy hair. "Great show."

" How did you manage that little demon? Are you Jesus?" Mulder asked sarcastically.

"No, certainly not. I'm Edward Cullen," the fellow said, smiling crookedly. "This is my wife, Bella." The way he said her name, like a caress, my-oh-my. He pulled the dark-haired beauty into the circle of light. Her golden eyes reflected strangely in it. She said 'hello' shyly. Then, her eyes wandered back to her husband, who was looking at her like she was something to eat. They shared a smile that spoke of secrets.

"Well, small world," Mulder said gregariously, interrupting the moment. "We're Federal Agents, working on finding the person threatening your father. I'm Fox Mulder, and this is Dana Scully."

"How lovely to meet you," Edward said, shaking hands.

Mulder's eyes widened at the handsome young man's chilly temperature. He looked at him curiously.

"I must admit to you, Agent Mulder, that I am most seriously concerned about this threat. Why someone has targeted my father I don't know. He is _such_ a good person. The most compassionate man I've ever met. I don't understand why anyone would wish to harm him. He's a popular man at the hospital, and he's done all kinds of superb things for this town."

"So you don't have any idea who could be doing this?" Mulder said, watching the Cullen boy closely.

"Sir, if I had any suspicion as to who was doing it, I would tell you,' Edward said seriously.

"What brings you so far from home?" Mulder asked casually.

"Oh, uh, we often come here to the hot springs," Edward shrugged. "It's a nice place to come when we can get a break from our daughter. Romantic, you know? And we have a friend who's getting married in a month. We're helping plan her wedding, so we thought we should check out the catering company here, since her caterer fell through. We weren't very impressed, I'm afraid."

"Too bad," Mulder remarked.

"If you don't mind me saying so," Scully said, "it's very good of you to take in your niece. You're pretty young to be taking on such a big responsibility. Most people don't even get married at your age any more. What's it like for you, raising a little girl?"

"Well, lots of young people do," Edward shrugged again. "Mind you, children don't usually have so many health problems. But she's a good little girl and we love her to bits."

"Is there anything I can do to help? I'm a doctor, with lots of experience regarding unusual health conditions," Scully offered. Both Cullens smiled at her with genuine warmth.

"Uh, thank you. But my father is the leading expert in his field concerning this condition," Edward said. "We manage nicely."

"Do you mind me asking what health condition you suffer from?" Scully asked.

"As close as we can diagnose it, it's a variant of Hereditary Coproporphyria," Edward replied. "Most of us also have a heart condition, so we need a fair bit of care. Bella is at least fortunate in that respect," her husband said, smiling down at her in adoration. "Her heart is perfect." He kissed her hand, and she smiled up at him like he was the center of her universe.

"I'm so sorry to hear you have it," Scully said earnestly. "Is it difficult for you to manage?"

"The symptoms do not exactly match the diagnosis, but porphyrias are extremely tricky to diagnose. My siblings and their spouses and I are extremely lucky to have Carlisle to take care of us. Unfortunately, the literature regarding the condition is very patchy. We did not, for example, realize that it would be contagious to my mate."

Scully turned shocked eyes upon Bella Cullen, who regarded her calmly and smiled self-deprecatingly.

"You don't appear to have much scarring," Scully said, her customary clinical interest taking over. If the Cullens found it offensive, they hid it well. She dropped her eyes, blushing.

Bella smiled reassuringly. "Don't be embarrassed, Dr Scully. We're accustomed to people being curious about us. No, our brother-in-law, Jasper, has the most scars. The kids were found and diagnosed very young, Doctor, except for Jazz. We know how to manage. We stay out of the sun."

"Good place for that," Mulder grumbled. It had drizzled rain most of the day, and now the mosquitoes were out in full force. He slapped at one on his arm, frowning.

"Yes, we love it here. We almost get to be normal," Edward said, smiling. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we want to be home by nine to put Ren to bed. Lovely to meet you both."

"Nice to meet you, too, Mr and Mrs Cullen," Scully said sincerely.

Edward turned his attention to Mulder. "If I may offer you a piece of advice? Please do not wander in the Rainforest at night. Especially carrying a walking snack on a leash. There are mountain lions about, and wolves, and even grizzly bears, and they're not afraid of humans."

"Oh," Mulder said, taken aback. "We'll head on back, then."

"I expect we'll see you tomorrow?" Edward said with a friendly smile. Bella smiled as well.

"Probably," Mulder confirmed.

"Then we shall bid you good night. I expect this place is a bit of a vacation for you, excepting the reason for your visit, is it not?"

"Yeah," Scully confirmed. "It's so lovely here."

"Well, I hope you'll take advantage of your opportunities to spend some recreational time together. We're heading home, now."

"Hey! Shouldn't you stay out of the forest, too?" Mulder wondered.

"Oh, our car is parked that way, about a quarter mile back, and we have a bear horn," Edward waved vaguely. "Goodnight Agent Mulder, Agent Scully."

"Goodnight," they chorused.

The young people waved, turned and walked off, Bella's hand tucked into Edward's arm.

"Cute, aren't they?" Scully remarked.

"Yeah. What's choro... choro..." Mulder wondered, wincing.

"You're gonna love this," Scully said wryly.

"Lay it on me, Scully."

"Vampirism."

"What?" Mulder yelped incredulously.

A low, musical chuckle and a high, bell-like one drifted back to them.

"Well, it's not, really. It's one of eight conditions, very rare, that are a subgroup of the condition called Porphyria. It gave rise to the legend of vampirism."

"Yeah, I've heard of that one, but tell me more," Mulder demanded as they walked back toward the cabin. Queequag started to pant. He had had enough of walking. Scully picked him up and tucked him under her arm.

"You and I already know it's not just a legend. We settled that in Cheney. So the Cullens really are vampires. I told you so," Mulder crowed.

"Mulder, don't be ridiculous. They aren't immortals. These poor people suffer from a condition so rare that nobody is ever going to put out enough money to cure it. It's a difficult thing to live with, and that young man is right: They're very lucky to live with a doctor who's a specialist in the field. _There_'s the simple reason for you as to why Carlisle Cullen adopted three adolescents, and fostered two more, when he's young, himself.

"Hereditary Coproprophyria is the autosomal dominant form of Hepatic Porphyria. Symptoms can include light sensitivity, in which the skin can blister and burn terribly when exposed to sunlight. Sometimes the urine turns purple or orange , especially if the sufferer has been standing out in the sun. Abdominal pain, which can be severe enough to require hospitalization, is the most common symptom. Then, there's nausea, vomiting, pain in the back, arms and legs, urinary retention and constipation, heart palpitations, increased blood pressure... oh, and there can also be muscle weakness due to damage to the nerves supplying the muscles. In some cases, flare-ups even lead to confusion, hallucinations, and seizures."

"How the hell do you remember all that stuff?"

Dana looked at him wryly. "I work with you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You see fantastical creatures everywhere. Therefore, I have accumulated knowledge about all kinds of rare conditions that can be mistaken for supernatural manifestations."

"So you're telling me the Cullens have orange or purple pee. Wow. You never see that happen to Dracula in the movies," Mulder stated.

"Mulder! It's a serious condition," Scully protested. "It's heritable, and according to him, it's contagious. I wonder what he meant by 'to his mate'. Perhaps it's transmissible during intercourse."

"He's a vampire Scully. Who refers to their wife as their 'mate'? And did you get a load outta how he talks? He sounds like my grandfather," Mulder enthused.

"Mulder," she said with an eye roll.

"Honestly. They're the Addams Family." They paused outside their cabin door. "Look, Scully. I am going to have a question for Carlisle Cullen tomorrow," Mulder claimed.

"And what might that be?" Scully asked warily. "You're not going to accuse him and his family of being vampires, are you?"

"Of course not. What I want to know is, if they have this choro... choro..."

"Coproprophyria," Scully supplied.

"Yeah. That. If they have it, and it's referred to as 'vampirism', how come nobody has mentioned it during the investigation so far? The victims have bite marks on them, Scully. And they're so blood-free that if I didn't know better, I'd say somebody took mortician's equipment and drained them."

Scully's brow raised momentarily. "That would be a much more logical explanation than vampires, Mulder."

"Doesn't explain the teeth marks, Scully."

"If someone were trying to make the Cullens look like vampires, though, they would _make_ teeth marks."

"Not logical. They would make _fang_ marks. These are obviously normal human teethmarks. I wonder who the hell would actually bite a corpse to draw attention to vampires. At any rate, I would say that Carlisle Cullen is definitely the target of these killings."

"I would agree with that assessment, Mulder."

Away from the forest, the stars were bright and the night serene. It was heaven, walking together arm-in-arm, Mulder decided. He wondered if there would be a fireworks show somewhere in the area. Not worth suggesting it. Too late to start out. Oh, well. Maybe it wouldn't be wise to go to such a romantic event together. But his mind kept setting up scenarios in which he could kiss Dana's delectable mouth.

Mulder opened the door and ushered Scully inside. Before long, they were back in their jammies and lounging in front of the TV, with Queequay curled up on Mulder's knee. They chatted about the movie they had watched, and about the people they had met since arriving, and about vampire legends. And thanks to jet lag, Dana fell asleep with her head on her partner's shoulder.

Mulder watched her sleep, her face mere inches from his own. He thought about kissing her, and then realized that he wouldn't know what to do if she woke up. Finally, after some consideration, he pulled her gently down on top of him on the couch, disturbing Queequag, who snarled. Dana's hair, silky against his lips, spilled over his black shirt, and trailed over the sofa's edge into space. Admiring it, Mulder went to the best sleep he had had, in more than seven years.

Outside the cabin, Jasper Hale smiled gently. He put his hands in his pockets, and walked away into the forest.


	4. Chapter 4: Secrets

**Chapter 4: Secrets**

**Rated M for Sculdermully snogginess.**

**My son, the brat, being a new X-phile, has been steadily watching his way through my box sets for the past month, and informs me that I am an idiot. Well, he's almost 15. They know everything, right? So, Queequag actually appeared in Season 2, not Season 7. Too bad. I like him. I think he is sticking around in my story. Practically everything else I'm writing adheres to the original, Chris Carter canon. So there!**

**Many of you have asked me the origin of the name Queequag. Guess what? I found out. Queequag is a principal character from the book 'Moby Dick', by Melville. An attractive, tattoo-covered 22 year old, he comes from a fictional group of savage cannibals, who are in the habit of remorselessly devouring their enemies slain in battle. He becomes a harpooner and is much admired by the character Ishmael. You may learn more about him on Wiki.**

**In the original X-Files canon, Dana's father used to read her 'Moby Dick'. The pair had a great affection for the novel.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is merely coincidental.**

**Music for this chapter can be found at youtubedotcom/jmollytwilight2, on the playlist 'Twi-Files: The Truth', beginning at #4:**

**'Human', by Civil Twilight**

**Sunday July 4th, 2010:**

**A rose-covered cottage in the Olympic Rainforest:**

Edward held the door open for Bella. He and Jasper bumped fists and then followed her inside. Carlisle sat in the loveseat, watching fireworks on the big screen TV. Renesmee was curled on his lap, sound asleep. Edward took her, silently, and carried her to bed. Then, he returned to the sitting room while Bella tucked the child in.

"Well?" Carlisle asked softly. Edward and Jasper exchanged an amused look and chuckled.

"They're completely smitten with each other," Edward said happily. "I haven't met two humans so well-suited in a long time."

"Tarnation! The _lust,_" Jasper said, rolling his eyes. "Happy Fourth of July! I won't have to spend much time with them, Carlisle. All they needed was a little nudge or two from me. They seem to be figuring things out on their own. Not like Charlie and Sue. Now _there_ were two people out of touch with their feelings."

"You didn't push them into bed, did you?" Edward asked in alarm.

" 'Course not. I never do. That'd be wrong. You know that I can only influence them temporarily. I'm just giving a little boost to natural feelings here, brother. No point getting them all overwhelmed, and then having them get mad at each other and put all that energy into the case."

"So you both agree they're a mated pair," Carlisle checked.

"Yep. Totally attached to each other. Being around their thoughts was totally embarrassing," Edward grinned.

"You should be glad you can't read emotions," Jasper chortled.

"Yeah. Thoughts are enough," Edward agreed. "I think Mulder is a sex addict," he smirked.

"So you two will ... encourage them to be wrapped up in each other, while we handle the threat," Carlisle suggested. His sons nodded. "Ready to hunt?"

"Yeah. Who else is coming with us?" Edward wondered.

"The _Kwali_, and Alice, Em and Rose."

"Sounds great. Let me change into something durable," Edward said, tugging his shirt collar.

"Hurry. We have to meet the_ Kwali_ in Port Angeles in an hour." Carlisle informed him.

"Can't I come, too, Carlisle?" Bella asked, chewing her bottom lip.

"You should stay with Ren," Carlisle said firmly.

"Our shared talent is handy though," Bella protested.

"Alice says we'll find important traces tonight, Bella. But we won't be finding our little grandmaster yet. There won't likely be any fighting."

Bella nodded reluctantly. "I'll say my prayers for you. Come back safe."

"Thank you, my girl. That would be appreciated."

**o~o~0~o~o**

At two o'clock in the morning, Dana Scully woke up, immersed in Mulder's masculine scent. She opened her eyes slowly, afraid to dispel the dream. If only he were really holding her, she thought. It couldn't be real. He was so tall, he'd be dreadfully uncomfortable on a couch. Besides, he probably would never commit himself. The X-Files were his true love, and he'd never risk losing them to be with her.

Sighing, she opened her eyes, prepared to accept that it was just an illusion. She really had to go pee.

He was holding her.

They must have fallen asleep on the couch, and he was holding her. The lamp on the end table was on, but the TV was off and so were all the other lights. And her top leg, dear God, was resting between his. And he was hard. Saints preserve us.

Dana Scully had never wanted to move her body away from him _less_, and had never _had_ to do so, more.

Why the hell couldn't she just hold it?

She lay there, trying to forget about the fact that she had to go.

Minutes passed.

Damnit. It was no good. She really had to go.

If she were sneaky, perhaps she could get back before he noticed.

Carefully, Dana shifted away from Fox, pulling her leg from between his, and feeling out with her foot and hand, behind her, for the floor. She slid smoothly off the couch onto the carpet. Mulder moaned a little and gave a soft snore.

Scully dashed to the bathroom and relieved herself. She tip-toed back, and looked at her partner, sleeping. She turned off the light, and carefully lay back down next to him, placing her neck on his arm. She breathed him in, feeling his soft breath on her face. Feeling, for the first time in many months, that she was home. But what if he didn't feel the same? What if she risked everything and... she lost him?

He shifted a little in his sleep, groaning. "Dana," he cried softly.

She froze, disappointed. Great. She was starring in some pornographic fantasy. She wasn't special at all. He just wanted a good-

"Dana," he cried again. "My Scully. Never leave me again."

She froze against him for a second time, and when she melted, the distance between them melted too. Scully no longer cared what the FBI brass thought. She no longer cared whether her family liked him. All she knew was that she never, ever wanted to be parted from Fox Mulder again. Sighing happily, she tucked her head under his chin, and basked in the warmth of his embrace. She pushed her knee against his legs, and he accommodatingly lifted his knee so their legs could become entangled.

He felt so good. She snuggled in as close as she could manage.

Mulder groaned, and the arm that was under her neck and the arm on top pulled her closer, and he held her tightly. He nuzzled her face with his rough cheeks, sighing. How she wished they could remain like that forever. Then, the unthinkable.

He was thrusting in his sleep. Against her leg. Her bare leg, and his old, soft, sweatpants. And his erect cock. _Right there_, so close to her. And she was soaking for him, but she didn't dare take the step. Didn't dare to respond with touches, in case he should reject her.

But, she was so damned curious about his cock. She'd never seen his hard-on uncovered. She'd glimpsed it under clothes, and hospital gowns, and his bathing suit. But never displayed for her eyes. How damn badly she wanted to reach down and pull it out of his pants and grip it tightly while he thrusted for her, thumbing over his tip to spread the droplet of lubrication she was sure would be there, and pleasure him until he came, with her name in his mouth.

She didn't dare. She couldn't ruin the moment. Couldn't have him draw back and push her away and break her heart.

But she was so curious.

Finally, she reached out, and lay her hand lightly along his length, exploring it with only the knit pants between them. There were no underpants under it. She copped a good feel, dripping for him, her nipples electrically sensitive against the fabric of her shirt. He thrust against her palm a few more times. So good. So beautiful. She shuddered, coming undone without even having touched herself or having him touch her.

Her man had fallen back into deeper slumber. She wondered if he had climaxed, silently, in his sleep. She wondered about his dreams.

She lay awake a long time, restless and frustrated.

The dog jumped back up onto the couch, turned three circles at their feet, and settled on top of them, functioning as a heavy, furry little foot-warmer. Dana sighed a laugh.

Finally, she slept, thankful to even have this much physical contact with the man whom, if she were honest, she would admit that she had wanted for the past seven years.

**o~o~0~o~o**

**Monday, July 5th , 2010**

The grey light filtered through the front window, beside the kitchen, until the room was filled with unpleasant brightness. Mulder winced, and shifted. Something was different. Something was good. Someone.

Dana. Dana, in his arms. Dana, with her leg thrown over his hip.

He opened his hazel eyes slowly, and met hers.

They stared at each other, not speaking.

He wondered if his eyes looked like hers. Vulnerable. Nervous. Reluctant to apologize, or to move.

"Dana," he said, his throat dry.

"Fox," she whispered back, blue eyes large and uncertain.

_I love you._

_I want to be with you forever._

_Love me._

Simple words, and so heavily loaded. There would be no going back.

"Dana, I ..." his voice trailed off into nothing.

"Me, too, Fox. Me too," she whispered.

He shifted a little, and felt a twinge in his pants. His jizz had dried, uncomfortably. He reached down to adjust himself, accidentally brushing against her mound with the back of his hand, and realized with shock, that his pants were wet with her juices. He looked at Dana, raw with need. She coloured, but did not drop her eyes.

"I want... I want to kiss you, so badly," he admitted. "But... I won't be able to stop. And we'll be late for our meeting with Chief Swan. And I'm ... not rushing anything with you. You... you're far too important to me. Without you, I..." He begged her with his eyes.

"Yeah. I know. I couldn't ... " Dana sighed. "We should get up," she stated reluctantly.

"Yeah."

Neither of them made a move.

But time waits for no human. Eventually, they had to make a choice: touch, or stop touching.

Skinner would expect a report later. Chief Swan would be expecting them. Innocent people had died, and more might die if they didn't get a move on. Sighing, they parted, and went to ready themselves for the day.

**o~o~0~o~o**

Officer Call knocked softly on Charlie's office door.

"Come," Charlie barked. He was busy, cleaning his firearm.

"Chief? There's a Fox Mulder and a Dana Sculley here to see you," the rookie said.

"Bring 'em in, Embry," Charlie said, loading a new clip.

Charlie and Carlisle had had yet another discussion concerning the attacks by blood drinkers in the region.

The Cullens and Hales had spent the night scouring the area around Port Angeles.

They had found several different footprints, and indications of a struggle. They suspected it was the place where Sheila Cooper had met her horrific end. Charlie would send officers out on an anonymous tip, he decided. Then, after making the discovery, he could send out the Feds.

He wondered if vampire-led massacres would ever stop. Not that he wanted his family to pack up and leave, but would the evil ones leave the region alone then? If many more conflicts went on, the Volturi would certainly show up, and Charlie was not looking forward to that happening.

That said, Charlie had confidence that the Cullens could stop their enemies. They had stopped James. The _Kwali Ute_ had stopped Laurent. The _Kwali_ warriors and the Cullen family, together, had put a stop to Victoria, defeated Caius, and made treaties galore with the Volturi, but barely seven years since it had all started, here they were again, threatened.

And this time, their involvement had not stayed under the humans' radar. This time, the good guys could be exposed. And that would be very, very bad for everyone.

Perhaps if they left, the trouble would follow them and leave the human community for good. But if the protectors left, and the blood drinkers didn't, the local humans would be sitting ducks.

So Charlie hoped to God the Cullens could solve the problem on their own. Soon.

The office door opened, and Embry brought in a couple of typical Feds. You could spot them a mile away, right down to their regulation black shoes.

"Chief? Special Agents Mulder and Scully," Embry announced.

"Thank you Embry," Charlie said, giving the Feds a good look over. He frowned a little. The man, Mulder, was overdressed in a grey suit. The woman had dress pants and a sleeveless blouse that would still be uncomfortable in the wet weather. As if on cue, it started to rain outside. "Hello, folks," Charlie said. Carlisle said he would have to be very careful of the pair. Carlisle didn't want them underfoot, getting hurt.

"Hello, Chief Swan. We've been sent to help with the exsanguination case. My partner and I specialize in unusual cases. We have a very high success rate."

Charlie took their proffered hands, holding onto them for a few seconds to demonstrate his sincerity.

"Good. As I'm sure you learned by now, my son-in-law's father is the target. Seeing as the entire family suffers from Coproprophyria, it is pretty obvious that whoever is doing this is trying to get Carlisle in trouble. I'm worried about him. He's such a kind man that he just doesn't see why anyone would do this to him. He insists he doesn't know anybody who it could be. Whole family's in denial, except Edward and Bella. Makes it hard to do our jobs. I'm downright worried about all of them."

Mulder was taken aback, having been told the Chief was not cooperating. "So you won't mind us being on your patch," Mulder asked warily.

" 'Course not. Any extra hands are welcome. This county's normally pretty quiet. Crime rates are low. We're not used to dealing with murders, especially anything this weird or violent. People are scared."

"There's nothing in the reports we've received about the Coproprophyria," Scully stated.

Charlie rolled his eyes and sighed. "If you'll pardon my French, the cumquat in charge in Seattle is not exactly open to my input. He says the killer is somebody who has decided Carlisle is to blame for something that's happened to him. Perhaps the loss of one of Carlisle's patients. Because of the blood draining connection to vampirism, I immediately alerted the dickwad to my theory, that the killer is trying to make it out that Carlisle is a so-called 'real' vampire, to discredit him. I put it in my very first report, and now you're telling me it's not been entered into the file? Shit." Charlie ran a hand through his curly black hair, and crossed his arms grumpily.

"May we have your report?" Scully asked politely.

"Sure. Got my reports right here." Of course he did. He'd sat up half the night, writing them, to Edward's specifications. "Nice to be taken seriously. Just 'cause this is a small county, there's no reason for the Chief in Seattle to disregard my reports, you know? Crap. I dunno why I take time to write them if he's not gonna read them." Charlie dug in his top file drawer and drew out a folder, which he handed to Scully.

"Your reputation is extremely good," Mulder said reassuringly. "Frankly, the man in charge accused you of not being cooperative. I'm extremely surprised to hear this from you."

Charlie blushed furiously. Mulder couldn't know that he blushed when lying. Nothing to embarrass a guy, like intimating that a fellow officer was not a nice man. "Thanks for the compliment. You know, I'm glad you're open to my ideas, even if they are a little off-the-wall."

"There seems to be a lot of off-the-wall gossip about the Cullens," Mulder said, eyeing Charlie seriously.

Charlie bristled. "You know, there are a lot of small-minded people in this town. Can't accept folks who are different. It's no wonder they haven't publicized their health problems, especially since Bella ended up catching it. People would get upset and Carlisle would lose his job.

"The Cullens are excellent people. I got worried when he moved here with all those foster kids. But I've never had a lick of trouble from any of them. Must be almost ten years since they came. Small town prejudice against incomers, that's what it is. If the people in this town only knew how much good that family does for folks, they'd kiss up. But the Cullens are Christians and they don't boast. Unlike most of the yokels around here."

"They're philanthropists?" Mulder asked, a little surprised.

"That's the understatement of the year. Sometimes I hear about their good works from people, because I'm a relative. The Cullens don't even tell me most of the shit they do. They keep it quiet. They're not in the least bit vain. You want to know about the family, you should talk to the Reverent Mister Weber on over at the Lutheran Church. Cullens aren't even Lutheran, but Edward and Bella are friends with the daughter, Angela, and her fiancé Ben. So whenever there's something they want to give, the Webers are one of the first families they think of to make it happen.

"The Cullens have money to burn. They are not in the least snobby, though. There's a whole hospital wing in Seattle that was built because of them. And the local hospital? Carlisle accepted a salary that most nurses would turn up there noses at, just because Esme wanted to live in a small town. He works because he loves it. He doesn't need the money."

"How did they make their money?" Scully asked.

"Carlisle was a wunderkind. Been an eminent surgeon for a long time, and he's worked at some big hospitals. He made plenty of green. Kids all got insurance and inheritances when their parents passed, and Carlisle invested it well. The daughter, Alice, has a real talent for the stock market. But she doesn't want a career in it. She loves clothes. Wants to be a fashion designer. None of the kids have to work. Edward, for example, has his medical degree from Dartmouth. Kid's just twenty-four. He's applied around for an internship, but nothing's panned out, yet.

"For the past five years, he and Bella have been dividing their time between getting degrees at Dartmouth, and working at an aid station in the Amazon, helping the Ticuna Indians there. His brother Emmett and his sister-in-law Rosalie frequently go down to help out. None of them takes a salary. They've built houses, and a health clinic, and a school down there, which they're outfitting with books, all with their own money. And they're drawing attention to the destruction of the environment and getting the local people active in politics and conservation, too.

"Do you know there are only 40,000 Ticuna in the world, and Bella and Edward have learned to speak the language? Edward knows a lot of languages, thanks to Esme. Bella's learned Brazilian Portuguese, too. They've helped a lot of people. People being abused by whites. You might not know this, but there's a whole sub-group of Westerners who target the young people of the Amazon for the sex trade. Edward and Bella have rescued a lot of youngsters from that life. Sometimes girls as young as fourteen show up pregnant. And my kids are the ones who care for them, and teach them how to care for their babies.

"When I get time off this year, I'm going down to have a look. Takes five days on foot to reach their settlement. I'm telling you, I couldn't be more proud of the lot of them.

"Locally: the food bank, the women's shelter, the school, the library? They've all benefited from the Cullens' generosity. They rebuilt the blood bank, too. It was in danger of closing, because the building was in such disrepair. And, here, they have to put up with bullshit from the small minds, who are creeped out by people who look different. Gossips are always telling me they have cold hands. That's because of their heart conditions. Part of the Coproprophyria: _bad circulation_. They're _not_ some kind of mythical creatures. I don't know how they put up with the unkindness some people show them. The Cullens are saints, I'm telling you."

"Wow. You know, I was told people call them 'creepy'," Mulder admitted, gauging Charlie's reaction.

Charlie huffed. "People always judge those they don't understand. They're idiots."

"Bella and Edward are remembered fondly by their friends, here, though." Mulder said. "Why didn't they stay in touch with them?"

"How many of your friends from high school do you still hang out with, Agent Mulder?" Charlie asked, eyes narrowed.

"Um, one," Mulder admitted.

"Yeah. And Edward and Bells spend time with Angela and Ben whenever they're in town. And Eric Yorkie is dating Edward's cousin Tanya. They're up in Alaska right now, where the cousins live. The rest of their friends from high school haven't taken much of an interest in them. They've grown apart, like most twenty-somethings do. Truth is, Edward and Bella are too intelligent to have much of a relationship with most of those kids."

Scully and Mulder looked taken aback. "You mean, there's something wrong with their friends?" Dana probed.

"No, I mean literally. Bella was in the advanced placement program at her high school in Phoenix. She graduated high school here with a 4.0 GPA. Then she went to Dartmouth, and got her Masters in English in an accelerated program. Edward is even more intelligent than Bella. His IQ is over 200.

"Do you mean to say he scored 200 on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale?" Scully gawped.

"Yeah, that's the one," Charlie said proudly. "Carlisle says Edward's smarter than him. He used to be a real loner. Bella's really pulled him out of his shell."

"About the case," Scully said, diverting the Chief before he could start up again. "When I examined the two most recent victims, I discovered poorly-concealed human bite marks. The dental impressions I made indicate that there were at least three different assailants involved."

Charlie blanched. "Bite marks?" he repeated weakly.

"Which leads me to conclude we're dealing with a group of people serving someone who's holding a grudge. Perhaps they're part of a cult or something. Like the Mansons," Scully finished.

"I can't _imagine_ anybody from around here biting and killing people. I sure as hell hope you solve this," Charlie admitted.

"Oh, we will, Chief Swan. We will get to the bottom of this," Mulder promised. "Is there anyone other than Mr..." he consulted his notebook, "Weber, you think we should talk to?"

"I hope you're not going to accuse Carlisle of these crimes," Charlie growled.

"No, we're firmly convinced that the killer and his comrades are trying to discredit Dr Cullen. We need to find out more about him in order to find out more about whoever is orchestrating these attacks."

"Oh. Well, I s'pose you should talk to Carlisle's boss. And his family. Um, yeah, that's where I'd start."

"Okay. Well, thanks so much for your cooperation. We'll keep you apprised of any developments," Mulder promised.

"Yeah, I sure would appreciate that," Charlie said, his lips thin.

"Oh," Mulder said on his way out. "We have to talk to somebody about Margery Thompson. Who do you think would be a good person to approach?"

"Hmm. Gonna talk to the Quileute, huh? Well, I don't really know who to say. They've closed ranks. I suggest you ask Billy Black. He's a respected elder, there. He might not talk, though. If it doesn't work, try my wife, Sue. She might be able to get you 'in'.

"Okay. Thanks. That's great. I'm sure we can get the Quileute people to talk to us. We're easy to talk to," Mulder bragged.

"Yeah. Good luck with that," Charlie Swan said, rolling his eyes. Despite the fact that the 'vegetarian' vampires and the werewolves were now kinfolk, the Treaty still bound both sides to secrecy. Sam and Jake probably had gag orders on all the _Kwali_ already. Embry was operating on instructions to 'get nowhere' with the case as far as the police were concerned. What he told Chief Swan and the tribe was a different thing.

Mulder and Scully took their leave, after being cautioned by Embry not to leave the damn dog out in the car, windows down, or not. Charlie told them to take Queequag with them into interviews, save the one with the hospital director. People in this area were accustomed to dogs. Maybe not ridiculous little Kleenex-box-cover dogs like Queequag, but that was merely a matter of taste.

Charlie looked out the door of the station, wishing Mulder and Scully luck. More like, sending up a prayer that they wouldn't find what they were looking for, seeing as it would be the last thing they ever did. Charlie wished he could be a fly on the wall at La Push. Perhaps he'd have Embry phase later, and get a good, descriptive account of the interviews with the Quileute.

Like a bunch of werewolves were apt to come clean about how an enemy vampire got right into the heart of La Push, hanging up his lunch for all to see. Yeah, they'd tell the FBI _all about_ that one.

Charlie went back to his desk and closed the door. He sat down and punched a number into the phone, and waited for it to pick up. "Carlisle?" he asked, lips thin.


	5. Chapter 5: Investigations

**Chapter 5: Investigations**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is merely coincidental.**

** A passage from Chapter 64**** of 'Moby Dick', by Melville,**** is quoted. **

**Music for this chapter can be found at youtubedotcom/jmollytwilight2, on the playlist 'Twi-Files: The Truth', beginning at #5:**

**'You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This', by Toby Keith**

**Monday, July 5th, 2010:**

**Forks, Washington  
**

Mulder and Scully were in Hospital Director Phelps's Office for precisely five minutes when the Triage nurse stormed in holding Queequag. Apparently, breaking and entering into a government issue vehicle was not as big a crime as leaving little dogs unattended in vehicles.

"Janelle?" Dr Phelps asked, eyebrows on the ceiling.

"Your visitors left this little sweetheart in their SUV. He was thirsty," she said, glaring at Mulder and Scully, who had the grace to look sheepish.

"We didn't want to bring him into the hospital," Scully said contritely. "And we couldn't leave him in Sol Duc unattended for so many hours."

"Well, we'll just overlook hospital policy for once. You can set him down. Just promise me you'll carry him in your arms when you're outside my office."

"Yes, sir. Thank you," Scully said. Queequag trotted over and wiggled his tail at the Director.

"Cute little fellow. You don't see many little dogs in these parts. Guess you two have to have a small dog when you travel so much," he smiled.

Mulder looked at the dog. It really was a stupid-looking thing. Why couldn't Dana have a pet retriever? Or a doberman? Well, at least it wasn't a poodle. "Yeah," he said blandly.

Dana flushed hotly. Fox hadn't even noticed that the man had lumped them into a relationship. Were they _that_ transparent?

"Doctor Phelps, we were discussing Doctor Cullen?" Mulder prompted.

"Ahem. Of course. Like I said, I can't imagine anyone doing him harm. No jealousy, no lawsuits, no accusations of wrongful death. As it happens, he seldom makes a mistake. Well, I wish I had ten of him. Such a lovely man. He was a child prodigy, you know. He's worked in some very important hospitals. But he said he's made all the money he needs, and so he came here for a salary that wouldn't house an orderly in a big city.

"He's an admitted workaholic. Works tirelessly, and his wife tolerates that beautifully. She never complains that he's got no energy for her. In fact, he's only taken two vacations since he came here: one when his youngest boy got married, and one when the same boy inherited his brother's daughter."

"So Cullen's family life is happy?" Mulder checked.

Phelps looked taken aback. "Why, yes. His kids are in and out of here all the time. They always have been. Love to drop in on their Dad with home cooking and cheerful talk."

"Tell us about his kids," Mulder said disarmingly. He watched the administrator scratch Queequag's ears.

"Well... the eldest is Emmett. He's a fun young man. Always teasing people into feeling cheerful. He runs the family's Aid Station in Brazil. Has a Doctorate in Sociology from Dartmouth. Bit of a practical joker. He's played a couple of pranks on Carlisle, here at the hospital."

"And how does Dr Cullen feel about that?" Scully questioned narrowly.

"Oh, he's a real sport. Don't forget he raised five orphaned teenagers. Man knows when he needs to put his foot down. Knows when he's being played. He also knows how to indulge kids without spoiling them, and make them feel really secure and happy. That's a stellar family, I'm telling you."

"What about the rest of the Cullens?" Mulder continued.

"Rosalie is Emmett's wife. She's a mechanic. Owns a shop with a friend of the family, Jacob Black. He's just a kid but he's a whiz with motors. You wouldn't believe how strong he is. Been seen lifting motorcycles out of flatbeds."

"Huh. Really," Mulder said, making notes.

"The sister, Alice?" Scully enquired.

"Little ray of sunshine. She's a seamstress. Designs her own clothes. She married young, too. Her husband, Jasper, is very protective of her. And he is artistic as well. Designs video games."

"That so," Mulder said, impressed. "And the youngest pair?"

"They are the loveliest kids you could imagine. They spend half their time in Brazil, helping the disadvantaged. He's a genius, like his Dad. Edward and Carlisle are extremely close. Common interests, and both doctors."

"He's a fully-fledged doctor, at the age of 24?" Scully asked, eyes narrow.

"Oh, he's a genius, as I said. He's looking for an internship, which I hope he will do here. I personally tutored him on obstetrics and gynecology. He asked questions I would not have expected from a man twice his age. I'd hire him in an instant if he wished to work here."

"That so?" Mulder asked, looking sidelong at Scully. "I bet Doogie's a social moron, though, right?"

Scully looked at him in disbelief. Sometimes, he wasn't such a socially adept specimen himself.

Phelps bristled. "Certainly not. He's ... introverted. His wife, well ... she kids with him. Draws him out. He's got a lovely sense of humour. Very old-fashioned. So is she, as far as that goes. They have plenty of friends. All over the world."

"What's Bella like?" Scully wondered.

The Director sighed, thinking. "She's ... a nurturer. Very close to her mother-in-law. Quiet, but she can hold her own in the family. I heard her tear into a local viper once, publicly, for putting some poor girl down. She's like her dad that way. Doesn't take crap from anybody. He used to threaten her boyfriends with his hunting rifle. Um, Bella likes to read. Likes to volunteer in the community. She's probably down in the Children's Ward right now, running a play group."

"Maybe we'll pop in on her. Oh. We can't take the dog," Mulder said, frustrated.

"Oh, just take him. He's a nice little doggy, and the children would be delighted to pet him," the administrator shrugged.

"Will you write a note so nobody yells at us?" Mulder asked.

"Sure, sure," Phelps shrugged. He scrawled a hasty note on his prescription pad, and signed it. Mulder took it, looked it over, and pocketed it.

"Thanks. And thanks for your co-operation," he said, shaking hands with the head honcho.

**o~o~0~o~o**

The mannish nurse gave Mulder and the dog the hairy eyeball, and departed. He and Scully peeked into the playroom. It was a mess. Toys everywhere. But the kids were chattering cheerfully.

"And the itsy bitsy spider crawled up the spout again," Bella Cullen sang, along with her young charges. They all clapped for themselves.

She was a lousy singer. But what she lacked in talent, she made up with enthusiasm. The kids dispersed. Now, Bella was conversing with a frail-looking kid and her scruffy teddy bear.

"Wook, Edwood," a little boy of about five said, proudly displaying a candy bar. He had no hair.

"Oh, thanks," Edward grinned, snatching it. The little kid squealed and reached for it. The young man grinned and made a sound that went something like 'yarmf', pretending to bite the candy while holding back the weeny owner.

"My!" the kid yelled, eyes sparkling. "Gimme."

"Oh. This? You want this?" Edward asked, waggling it. "Oh. I thought it was mine,"he teased, letting the little boy snatch it back.

"Watch it, Cullen, or I'll tell him where your ticklish spot is," Bella growled from across the room.

"Minx. You do that? I'll divorce you."

"Bewwa's nice," the little chocolate bar owner growled, launching himself at Edward. Edward promptly turned him upside down and tickled his tummy. The two of them were soon lost in giggles.

It was then that the Cullens noticed Scully and Mulder with the dog.

"You brought Queequag," Edward grinned. He put on a silly pidgin voice, talking at his squealing rugrat. "_'Your woraciousness, fellow-critters, I don't blame ye so much for; dat is natur, and can't be helped; but to gobern dat wicked natur, dat is de pint. You is sharks, sartin; but if you gobern de shark in you, why den you be angel; for all angel is not'ing more dan de shark well goberned.'" _

"Pirate!" the kid bellowed. Edward giggled delightedly, tickling the boy, and growled 'aargh'.

"Ooh, _look_, kids!" Bella enthused. "Our friends, Dana and Fox, brought their beautiful little doggy to see you." There was an outbreak of excited screaming, and a mad rush for the dog.

"You know 'Moby Dick', Scully said, delighted.

Edward rolled his eyes. "I am a fount of useless trivia. Photographic memory."

"Hey, me too," Fox said. Then something dawned on him. "How did you know the dog's name?" he asked narrowly. "We never mentioned it." He watched Bella kneel on the floor and encourage the kids to love the Pomeranian up.

Queequag was in his glory. He ran around in circles, yapping, with his teeth showing in a doggy grin. The children ganged up on him, giggling, and he waggled around in a pretty-boy fashion. Definitely a show off.

"Local grapevine," Edward shrugged. "Come on, get in here, Fox. I need help with these hooligans."

"Hah hah," Mulder said, lip curling.

"Seriously. They're wearing me out," Edward claimed, flipping another squealing, pyjama-clad kid upside down.

Fox edged into the room and sat in the only other decent chair. A small American Indian girl appeared at his elbow, staring. He looked at her warily.

"What kind of a name is Fox?" she demanded, direct as only a little kid can be.

"I often ask myself that," he replied.

"Do you know the wolves? You must if you're a fox. There are lots of wolves around here," the kid stated.

"Uh, no," Fox blinked.

"I like horsey rides," the child declared.

"Yeah, okay," Mulder said, shifting. The little girl scrambled up on his knee, delighted. "So what are you in for?" he asked, jouncing her around.

"Doctor Cullen put this thing in my head. See?" She pulled her hair aside, revealing a shunt.

"Oh," Mulder said, surprised. He eyed Dana surreptitiously, hoping it didn't remind her of Emily. "Did it hurt?"

The child crinkled her nose. "Nope. Dr Cullen is good. He's Edward's daddy, you know."

"Yeah, I know that," Fox said.

Dana was sneakily watching her man, trying not to cackle at how awkward he looked, while she did a puzzle with another little girl. This one wasn't talkative. She'd had her tonsils out the day before, and would soon go home.

The big, tough-looking lady nurse came in. "Alright, children. Time to go and get ready for lunch. Say 'good-bye' to Bella and Edward, and their friends."

Friends? Scully and Mulder exchanged an uncertain look.

There was a collective 'aw', the loudest of which came from Bella and Edward. The children filed over to Bella and Edward for hugs and kisses, and trooped out, complaining. The nurse gave the dog a surly look, and gave Edward and Fox the hairy eyeball again.

"She scares me," Edward whispered theatrically when she was gone.

"Mocha-chino!" Bella remonstrated.

"She does. She's a dragon, I tell you. She eats men for breakfast, Minx." Edward turned back to Fox. "She's scary, right?"

"Terrifying," Fox concurred.

The little girl with the teddy bear lingered, leaning on Bella. Whenever the child looked at her, Bella smiled happily. But whenever the child rested her face against Bella's shoulder, her face fell. Edward watched them soberly.

The nurse reappeared, looking for her charge. Finally, the child took hold of her IV pole, retrieved her bear, and limped for the door. The nurse smiled sternly, slipped her arm affectionately around the girl's shoulder, and walked her out.

"She loves the kids," Bella said hollowly, staring at the doorway.

"Minx..." Edward said sorrowfully.

"Candice ... she's getting worse," Bella blinked.

"Yes, love. They decided, no more chemo. She's ... failing."

"How long?" Bella asked.

"I don't know, love. The tenacity of human beings is amazing. You know how the terminal kids are. As long as nobody is dumb enough to tell them a time frame, they ... just go on being kids. And eventually, they just ... decide."

"To go."

"Yes." He drew his wife into his arms, and kissed her temple. "God calls them-"

"-and they go and play," Bella said, gulping.

Mulder watched Scully with worry. Yes, she was slipping into a dark place. He cast an angry look at Edward, who looked disconcerted. Mulder marched over to his partner, pulling her up into his arms. She clung to him, not breathing. Trying to hold in the tears.

"I'm sorry," Edward said, forehead wrinkling. "Is there ...?"

"She lost a child," Fox cut him off, curtly.

Edward let go of Bella and hurried over to the other couple. He laid a sympathetic hand on Dana's shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry. Please forgive me for talking about-"

Dana turned haunted eyes on him. "You didn't know," she said, lying her head against Fox's chest. He stroked her hair once, turning his face away from the Cullens, his jaw clenched. He wished he and Dana were alone, but he had to interview the young couple. Why, when things were going well, did unpleasantness always have to happen?

"Truly, I'm sorry. We'll ... give you a minute," Edward said lamely.

Mulder nodded curtly, and the Cullens left the room.

"Scully..." Fox moaned.

"Do you...? Is Emily ... is she ... playing, Fox?" Her large blue eyes rose, seeking reassurance desperately.

He smoothed back her hair, and brushed a soft kiss on her mouth. "Of course she is. You know she is, Dana."

She clung to him, sniffling into his jacket, anchoring herself. "At least she knew I loved her," she consoled herself.

"Yeah." Mulder was quiet a minute, nursing regrets. "I loved her too, you know. I wish ... she'd been mine."

"So do I," Dana said softly, looking at him solemnly.

Well, what other response could he give to that? Watching her carefully, he bent down, with certainty. Dana was so short. Probably what made him feel so protective, from the first. He pressed his mouth to hers, possessively.

Just as certainly, she let him in. She put her hand behind his neck, and held him there. It was a serious kiss. A 'forever' kind of kiss. Not impatient. Not tentative. The kind of kiss that says that there are endless tomorrows to explore together.

To hell with the Brass. Some things are more important.

They took forever, and no time at all. Then, they broke apart. But the bond between them remained, in the look they shared.

No words were needed.

They just looked at each other, secure in the return of the other one's affection.

In the hallway, someone dropped something metal with a clang. It startled them, and they both jumped. They laughed at themselves a little bashfully.

"You okay?" Mulder asked tenderly, sweeping back his partner's hair again. She nodded twice, looking down. He pulled up her chin, and her smile kindled.

"We should go," he said, wondering how fast they could get through the day's business, so they could go back to the cabin and spend some quality time alone together.

"Queequag!" Dana gasped, eyes darting around. She flew out of her partner's arms and out of the room, stopping abruptly outside the doorway. Fox nearly ran into her, he was following so closely.

Edward was standing down the hall, beside Bella, and Queequag was in his arms, wagging his tail at the other people in their group: Carlisle Cullen was making his rounds with student doctors, and they were all admiring the dog.

Edward noticed the pair, and excused himself. Bella remained with the group, chatting. Carlisle watched his son walk away with obvious pride.

Edward stopped beside Scully. "Okay?" he checked.

"Yes," she replied. "It's hard sometimes. In my line of work, once in a while... it comes up unexpectedly."

"Yeah," Edward said, blinking his odd-coloured eyes. They seemed ... darker today. Perhaps it was due to the fluorescent lighting. "That must really bite." Edward looked behind him, just in time to see Bella kiss his father on the cheek. Carlisle looked up and waved 'good-bye' to Edward, who half-saluted him. The doctors disappeared into a patient's room, and Bella rejoined Scully, Mulder and her husband with a smile.

"I suggest lunch," Edward said cheerfully. "My treat."

"Oh, no we..." Dana began, eyes flickering back and forth between him and Mulder.

"I insist. We can answer your questions at the same time," Edward smiled.

"Tell me we're not going to the cafeteria," Bella moaned.

"No way José. There are too many negative thinkers in this building. Time to clear our heads."

Bella cheered up. "Where to?"

"Well, if we go to the Diner, we can take the dog in with us," Edward suggested. Queequag was still tucked up happily under his arm.

"Great," Bella smiled, grabbing onto his other arm. Fox and Dana followed, hand-in-hand, a little bemused.

**o~o~0~o~o**

"If you will excuse me for a moment," Edward said, gesturing toward the Men's.

"Sure. We'll pull up a table," Bella smiled, grabbing Scully, and the dog, and dragged her away.

"Uh, lemme come with you," Mulder said, tagging along with Edward.

"So, how long have you and Dana been together?" Edward asked, pushing open the door to the facilities.

"Um, we've been working together for ... almost eight years," Fox said, a little distracted.

"No, I meant _together_," Edward snorted, heading into a stall.

"It's that obvious?" Mulder said, wondering how the hell he was going to hide it from Skinner. He stood in front of the urinal and released his dick.

"Yeah, pretty obvious. You gaze at her a lot," Edward chuckled from within the stall. "Ssssshit!" he exclaimed.

Mulder glanced fretfully at the stall. He heard Edward pee, curse, and then pee more, in fits and starts. "Something wrong?" he enquired mildly, tucking himself away, and zipping his fly.

"Aargh! No. Yes, aargh. It's alright. It's just ... well, I'm having a flare up," Edward lied, pouring out his flask of grape juice into the toilet. "Damn-it to hell. Fuckity-fuck-fuck." He hid the flask on his person, and swung open the door to the stall. He made sure that the concerned Fibbie got a good look at the purple 'pee', while he zipped his fly, then he turned back and flushed it.

"Are you ... okay?" Mulder asked. Apparently, Edward Cullen really did have corpo... copro... cuppa... whatever. Besides having a monster in his pants.

Edward headed over to the sink, and scrubbed at his hands. "Yeah. For now, at least. Serves me right. I went out in the sun yesterday morning. I'm not supposed to, but you have no idea what it's like, never being out in the sun. And it was so nice, I just _had_ to go out. Made me feel all shiny and new. Well, now I'm gonna pay for it. Probably be in the hospital tomorrow. Damn-it."

"A little sun is that bad?" Mulder winced.

"Yeah. Do me a favour and don't tell Bella, okay? She'll worry." He cranked a paper towel out of the holder.

"Okay. Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"I do not 'gaze' at Scully." _Deja vu_.

He'd said it before, Mulder realized, to Holman Hart, the guy who psychically controlled the weather. Damn. Must be true...

"Oh, yes, you do. Trust me. I live with three other exceptionally happy couples. You 'gaze' at her a lot," Edward grinned, throwing out his paper towel.

"I do?"

"Yep. Ever think about getting married?" Edward asked innocently.

"Uh, sometimes. What's it like?" Mulder asked softly.

"Being married? It's the best. Waking up with the love of my life every day? Who could ask for more? And it's even better if she wakes me up with her mouth wrapped around my-"

The door opened, and an old guy pushed his way past Edward to the stall. Edward started to go out, but Fox held him back.

"So how do you know when ... she's ... The One?" Mulder asked, looking vulnerable.

Edward scoffed. "Come on. You already know." He turned and pushed the door, and stopped dead almost immediately. "Shit!" he exclaimed again, stepping to the side just in time to avoid Mulder walking up his back. "Boy, this day just gets better and better," he moaned.

"What?" Mulder asked conspiratorially.

"That girl over there at our table," Edward grimaced, jerking his head toward a table near the window. "She bugs the hell out of me. She seems convinced that she can seduce me out from under my wife. As if. No amount of rudeness on my part deters her. I even told her I had an STI, and she still copped a feel."

"Charming," Mulder said, looking at the hard-as-nails blonde.

"She's a total skank," Edward declared. "How about we go over and get a beer?" he asked, gesturing at the stools in front of the bar. "Maybe she'll walk away from the girls in a minute without noticing us."

"Sure," Mulder said, watching the blonde sneer at Bella. Bella smiled back placidly, unfazed. Mulder and Edward walked over and sat on the bar stools.

"Hi, Cora," Edward said, smiling at the motherly-looking black waitress.

"Hiya, handsome. What can I get you?" she asked, polishing the top of the Formica counter with a bleachy dishtowel.

"Vitamin R. Same for my pal, Fox."

Cora raised a brow. "Fox, huh? You're the Fed, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Mulder said, taken aback.

"Well, I hope you and the Chief catch this maniac soon. People are frightened. Any progress?" Cora wondered. "Boys want to know."

A bunch of fishermen who, in Mulder's estimation, all greatly resembled the Cryptkeeper, turned to stare at him beadily.

"Uh, my partner and I ... are following some leads," Mulder stammered.

"Good," Cora declared, moving to the glass-doored fridge to get the beers.

Mulder looked at Edward, gawping. Edward shrugged. "Forks has an astoundingly good grapevine. There are no secrets in Forks."

Beside him, there was a bray of laughter. Both men frowned and turned to look at the author of it. Edward's face cleared. "Oh, hi, Stephi," he smiled.

"Hello, smexy. How's it hangin'?" the woman asked, sheltering the screen of her laptop.

"Peachy. This is-"

"Fox. I heard. Hi." She went back to her typing.

"Hi," Fox responded, bemused.

"This is Stephi. She's a writer. So, I lie. There is a secret in Forks. Stephi is a famous novelist. She's working on the next Big Thing. It's about what, Steph? Werewolves?"

Cora set down two frosty beers in chilled glasses. Edward thanked her quietly.

Stephi shook her head, typing madly. "Nope. Zombies."

"Awesome." Edward picked up his beer and sipped it. Mulder copied him.

Suddenly, Edward stiffened.

The tough blonde was rubbing her tits up against his back.

"That's definitely the word I would use," she cooed, flirting shamelessly and blowing in his ear.

"Lauren," Edward growled, bristling.

"When are you going to leave that pale little girl and spend some time with a real woman, Edward?" she simpered.

"Not interested," Edward snapped coldly, turning his back on her.

"Well, if you ever change your mind," Lauren said, running her hand down his shoulder and arm.

"I don't think so. Now run along before I tell Jessica you're angling for Mike again."

"Who wants to settle for Mike? I like my men _top class_, Edward," she purred.

"I'll be sure and let Mike know that," Edward said frostily. Without a word, he slid off the bar stool, with his beer, motioning for Mulder to follow. To Mulder's shock, the blonde looked at him lasciviously, running her tongue lewdly around her lips.

"Happily married," Mulder said, hurrying after Edward, who turned and did a double-take.

"Oh, boy. You just made it a challenge for her to get in your pants," he warned.

The men slid into chairs next to Bella and Dana. Cora came over to take their orders.

"I just want a Coke," Bella shrugged. Edward looked at her in concern. She looked a little sheepish.

"Usual, Edward?" Cora asked, not bothering to take notes.

"Yep. Thanks, dear."

Cora took Mulder and Scully's orders, smiled, and walked away.

"I'm not feeling all that well today," Bella admitted.

"Did you go out in the sun yesterday?" Edward asked slowly, peeking at her from under his lashes.

"Well... yeah," she reluctantly admitted.

Edward snickered. "And here, I thought I was being sneaky, to keep you safe."

"You went out, too?" she gawped.

"Yeah, and I've been feeling all guilty about it. Here, we could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble, and just been honest and said we wanted some sun. Gee, we could have spent the time together. That sucks."

"Sappy date."

"Takes one to know one. Rats. Oh, well. I dunno about you, but I'm going to be sick tomorrow."

"Likely. Well, we can be ill together. That beer isn't going to help, you know," she said, mouth turning down.

"In for a penny," he toasted her, drinking more of it.

"In for a pound," she said with an eye roll.

"Hope Carlisle doesn't kill us," he said, grinning mischievously, not realizing a caramel-haired woman was breathing down the back of his neck. He froze, the smile fading. "Crap. I'm dead. Hi, Mom."

Esme cuffed him on the ear so he slopped his beer on the table. "Idiot."

Edward looked mortified, then he smiled self-deprecatingly. "Thank you," he responded cheekily, grabbing paper napkins to mop it up. "I love you, too. Mom? These are new friends of ours. Fox Mulder, and Dana Scully. Dana? Fox? My darling mother: Esme."

The how-do-you-do's were affected.

"Who has our kid?" Bella wondered.

"I just stopped in because I saw you from outside. Jake and I are taking her to Port Angeles. She's grown again. Needs new clothes."

Edward sighed. "Within reason."

"Why do you think I didn't bring-" Esme jumped. "Oh. Hi Alice."

The little pixie-like girl stood at her mother's elbow, practically growling.

"Jake and I are taking Ren to Port Angeles, shopping. Care to ... tag along?" Esme winced.

The girl grinned all over her face. "Thanks. Yes, I would. There's this nice new little shop off the main drag that carries high-end designer kids' clothes. I'm sure Ness will-"

"_Please_ don't call her that, Alice," Edward begged.

"She prefers it, Edward. It's _her_ name," his sister argued.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Keep the shopping down to a dull roar, would you please?"

"Oh, Edward! When do I ever go over the top with her? I've been really, really good."

He closed his eyes against the unstoppable feminine tide. "Sure, sure. When do you expect to be home, ladies? Should Bella cook supper for Ren?"

"No, we'll take her out," Alice grinned.

"So ... we can expect a few hours..." he drawled, smouldering at his wife strongly enough to set her panties on fire. She smouldered back.

"Yeah, Mr Romance. Feel free to make some noise," Alice giggled.

Edward turned faintly grey around the edges. "Couth," he remonstrated.

"Whatever. See ya later. Nice to meet you, Dana. Fox." The pixie skipped away.

"I'd better go hold them down before they float away," Esme said, sighing. "Nice to meet you both," she said. She squeezed Edward's upraised hand, kissed him on the forehead, and Bella on the cheek, and left.

Cora brought a huge chicken Caesar salad for Dana, and a deluxe burger plate to Fox. She returned with a basket of bread sticks and set them in front of Edward, along with dip, and a small bowl of cottage cheese. He picked up a bread stick, dipped it in the cheese, and crunched it happily. Then, he noticed Dana and Fox staring.

"What?" he inquired blankly around his bread stick.

"Uh, is... that what you're having?" Dana winced. "We could have gone somewhere where you could eat something ... more substantial."

"That's very considerate of you. But you mustn't worry about us. Dad keeps the house thoroughly stocked with stuff we can eat. And when we're not feeling our best, we have tons of protein shakes. If we get rebellious about eating, he threatens us with IV's -which he also keeps at home, by the way- so there's no arguing with him. I love these bread sticks. Cora keeps them especially for me. I'm fine, really."

"We both are. Now entertain us with some cool stories. What's Quantico really like?" Bella demanded, sipping her Coke. "I bet you have to deal with some real, regimental-type jerks. We know all about dealing with law enforcement and politicians, between my Dad and our Brazilian connections."

Fox and Dana relaxed, deciding it was okay to chat with these young ones. For once, they would bite back their standard, no-commit answers. Perhaps... this charming young couple could be trusted as friends, however temporary the relationship might be.

This X-File was turning out to be a nice little break after all.

When they were nearly done their leisurely lunch, a uniform approached their table, hat off, interrupting the laughter.

"Mark?" Edward acknowledged.

"Uh, sorry to disturb you guys. Mr Mulder? Ms Scully? Chief Swan wants you to come with me. They've found the location where Sheila Cooper was murdered."

The two couples exchanged startled, serious looks.

"Thank you for lunch, and for your company," Mulder said, standing. He pulled out Dana's chair for her.

"I hope we can do it again," Edward said, shaking hands. "Hey, why don't we keep Queequag for the rest of the day, for you. You can pick him up at our place tonight."

Mulder and Scully agreed, pleased. They followed Sergeant Mark outside, and climbed in their SUV.

"Nice folks," Scully remarked, preparing to follow the police cruiser.

"Yeah," Fox agreed. "But they're odd, Scully. I still say he's a vampire."

Scully rolled her eyes, tires squealing as she tailed the Sergeant. There was no use arguing with Mulder, without compelling evidence to the contrary, she decided.

Some things, you just had to let go, if you wanted to get along.


	6. Chapter 6:Angels Be Sharks Well Governed

**Chapter 6: Angels Be Sharks Well-governed**

**This chapter rated M for violence and bad language.  
**

**Please, if you are so inclined, say a prayer for my pals in New Zealand. It's pretty scary down there right now. Love you, J, Val and Cathy. **

**Say one for the people affected by Hurricane Earl, too.**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is merely coincidental.**

**'Moby Dick', by Melville, Chapter 64 is quoted in the chapter title. **

**I'm up for Best Author in the Hidden Star Awards. Thanks for nominating me, friends. Pretty please vote? thehiddenstarawards dotblogspot dotcom  
**

**Music for this chapter can be found at youtubedotcom/jmollytwilight2, on the playlist 'Twi-Files: The Truth', beginning at #6:**

**'The X-Files: I Want to Believe', by Mark Snow  
**

**The Olympic Rainforest:**

**July 5th, 2010:**

They walked around the small patch of grasses between the huge redwoods. Everything was green. The trees, the ground, and the rocks. Except for the places where the moss had been scraped away during the victim's struggle.

One of the cops from Seattle crept around taking pictures.

The coroner was unavailable, so Scully had been asked in to look at the physical evidence: two revolting lumps of flesh, bitten from the victim's body, and spit onto the ground. Each measured a good two and a half inches in diameter. Human-looking teeth marks were readily visible on them.

"You're certain these came from Sheila Cooper, and not another victim?" Scully winced, trying not to breathe.

"We found her purse over here," Charlie said grimly. "Any initial observations?"

"Well, it's ... a strange scene," Scully frowned.

"That's for sure," Mulder chipped in. "Blood spatter that high? It's almost like... she was ... thrown into the trees. And some of the overhead branches are broken."

"It does appear that way. And she had a lot of broken bones. You'd better have the trees checked for physical evidence," Scully advised the Chief. "Signs of ropes. Catapults. Use of levers."

"Yeah, okay," Charlie sighed, rubbing the back of his head. Hunting vampires was a real head ache. Especially since he had to _not_ find them.

"Look here, Scully," Mulder called, squatting on the ground. Scully picked her way across the slippery moss carefully. Where Mulder was, the ground was rocky, and the moss had been scraped away in streaky scratches. They stood looking at it.

"Looks like she died here," Scully said softly. "These are fingernail marks. The ones there might have been made by the heels of her shoes. Excuse me? What kind of shoes was the victim wearing?" she called to Officer Call.

"Uh, black dress heels," he murmured. "She was a real estate agent. She had an open house that day. Might have been how the murderers ... chose her."

"Hmm. So the assailant, or assailants, held her down here. Make sure you get pictures and measurements of this," Scully ordered the photographer.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Hey, Scully!" Mulder barked, crouching beside a crevice between two rocks, nearby to where Sheila had fought for her life. "Chief? Officer, get your camera over here."

The three individuals hurried over to Mulder, and he pointed out what he wanted them to see: something made of paper was wedged down in the rocks. The photographer snapped photos, then Mulder, donning gloves, carefully pulled it out of its hiding place.

Charlie gasped, gobsmacked. "Oh, my god."

It was a popular wedding magazine, dated June, 2006. It was spattered with gore.

On the cover were Edward and Bella Cullen, dressed in their wedding finery.

Mulder set the magazine down on its spine, and it fell open. Out of it, tumbled another bite-sized piece of human flesh.

"Jesus," Mulder moaned, turning the magazine to look at the photo.

In it, Edward Cullen was wearing an Armani suit, and his wife was held aloft in his arms, wearing a minescule black dress. They looked deliriously happy. The image contrasted sickeningly with the smears of blood and tissue.

"One of their engagement photos," Charlie supplied. "Holy shit."

Across the photo, words had been scrawled in permanent marker: SHE WILL BE FIRST.

The police photographer snapped a series of photos. Then Scully grimly bagged up the chunk of Sheila's flesh.

"So, Carlisle Cullen and his family are definitely the targets,"Mulder grimaced, using his pen to carefully turn the page. Congealing blood made gooey, stringy patches on the paper.

"Fuck!" Charlie gasped, the breath scything in and out of his chest. Mulder and Scully looked at him with clenched jaws.

In the next photo, Edward Cullen lay supine on sand, asleep. Naked. Peaceful. Young and innocent.

"Guess the target's _not_ Carlisle," Mulder corrected himself.

The writing, in black permanent marker, was elegant. It covered nearly the whole page:

_I am coming for you._

_I am going to tie you up, and fuck you._

_Just as I will fuck your wife before killing her. Think on that, you pussy-whipped subordinate._

_You were never meant to be a Dom._

_Yes, pretty boy. I will fuck her mouth. _

_I will fuck her ass. _

_And I will fuck her cunt more thoroughly than you ever did._

_Then, I'll do it to your daughter._

_And then, I'll do it to you._

_When I am done with you, I am going to flay _

_every strip of flesh from your body_

_with the barbarous teeth on my whip._

_While you live._

_I will relish every scream._

_I am going to spend weeks doing it._

_And then, I will put you back together_

_and do it all again._

_You have spoiled my fun._

_You have taken my place. _

_For stealing my children I will steal yours._

_You know of what I speak._

_At least your sperm will live on._

_You will be last._

_Everyone you love will die before you._

"Christ!" Charlie yelped, taking three steps back and moving with increasing speed toward his car.

"Whoa-ho-ho! Hey, Charlie, you have to explain this. Don't run off," Mulder ordered.

"He's threatening my baby girl," Charlie barked. "And her husband. And my grand-baby. He's a madman, and he's ruthless. I have to go tell them. I have to ... p-protect them."

"Who is doing this?" Dana shouted.

"Some guy they met in Brazil. They ruined his drug trade. Picked up some young teenage girls that he'd abused. Helped them get away from him. Gave them ... support to raise their babies." Charlie continued hurrying to his car. Mulder managed to catch up. He grabbed Charlie by the arm, and swung him around.

"Don't panic," he ordered. "If you tell Edward and Bella this way, they'll _run_, and they'll be in danger, going where we can't protect them."

Charlie laughed incredulously. "You can't protect them, Agent Mulder. Not even the fucking FBI is strong enough to protect them from this guy. He's just about the scariest guy I've ever heard of. Now let me go. He may have been waiting for us to find this information, and he could be on his way to the kids' cottage right now."

Charlie Swan ran for his car, and the agents let him go.

Scully turned and snapped at Sergeant Mark. "Bag everything and take it to the station. I want a look at that magazine before you send it to the coroner. And then, I want a thorough analysis of the handwriting ordered."

"Yes, Ma'am," Mark said, hands shaking. He'd never imagined working on a case this horrifying, especially involving his Chief's family. Made him sorry he hadn't gone into a different line of work.

Scully and Mulder ran for their SUV.

They hurtled down the road after Charlie, speeding toward the Cullen House, near the Callawah River.

**o~o~0~o~o**

It was an architectural gem, nestled in the middle of forest. Isolated, but welcoming. The front wall was made entirely of glass.

Charlie Swan screeched to a halt. He exited his cruiser at a dead run, leaving the lights flashing, and bypassed Emmett Cullen, who was weeding the flowerbed beside the front porch.

"Hey ... Charlie..." Em said, his smile fading as the doors on Scully and Mulder's SUV crashed open. "What's up!" he demanded. The agents did not stop to talk. They hurried after Charlie, who was barrelling at top speed down a path running parallel to the side of the house.

Emmett shouted something to his wife, and hurried after them.

Mulder, Scully and Emmett caught up to Charlie, who was inserting a key into the front door of a charming little cottage covered in old-fashioned climbing roses as big as tea plates. "They turned off their phone," he informed the agents.

When he pushed on the key, the door fell open with a squawk.

"Oh, God! Please, please no," he wailed. "They always lock up."

"Charlie! What the hell is going on?" Emmett demanded.

"Caius." Charlie rushed into the sitting room.

"Holy fuck!" Emmett said, heading straight for the back of the house. "Ren's not here," he said curtly.

There were no lights on. Music played softly on the CD player.

Rosalie and a Quileute barged through the front door. They appeared to be ... sniffing?

"Bella? Edward?" Charlie called frantically. He also hurried to the rear of the cottage, throwing open the door to the master bedroom. The sheets were rumpled. The room was empty. To the right of the bed was a French door, partly open. Charlie threw it open and stormed through it.

The rest of the party followed him.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" Edward yelped, ducking down in the submerged outdoor jacuzzi, with a splash, attempting to cover his junk. Bella ducked too, covering her chest in alarm.

Queequag was lying on a sumptuous chaise longue, dreaming doggy dreams.

"Oh, thank God! Thank God!" Charlie moaned, pacing and covering his eyes with a hand that shook.

"Would someone mind explaining to me what's going on?" Edward asked calmly. Water dripped into his eyes. He looked much younger with his hair wet, Scully decided. A nice male specimen. But not old enough for her.

She'd like to get Mulder in that tub.

"I was _so_ afraid something had happened to you, with the door left unlocked," Charlie said weakly, halting his pacing.

Edward appeared confused. "We never lock the door when Ren is out," he related calmly.

Mulder still thought Edward was odd. Who on the planet swore like this supposed-kid? 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph'? Come on...

Charlie stared at Edward meaningfully, and as the seconds ticked by, Edward's eyes dilated until no colour was visible. "Tell us, Dad," he demanded, reaching for the large white towel Emmett was holding out. He exited the tub swiftly and gracefully, wrapping the towel around himself.

"We examined the place where Sheila was murdered," Charlie began. Edward nodded and signaled for him to get on with it. "We found a copy of the wedding magazine at the site. You know, the one with the pictures of you kids. There was a chunk of human flesh being used as a placeholder. Caius scrawled threats all over the pictures of you. He said... well, he said he was going to rape, torture, and murder everyone you love, and save you for last. And he said... he said he was going to steal your sperm, because you stole his children from him."

Edward blanched. "Ren!" he gasped through bloodless lips, rushing into the house. The young Native was right on his heels.

Edward stopped by the phone, turning it back on. It rang immediately, and Edward snatched it up. "Alice?" he barked, and listened carefully, watching the Native boy, who was holding his breath anxiously.

"They're fine," Edward informed everyone, sagging with relief. "What, Alice?"

"Thank God!" Bella cried from the bedroom. She shut the bedroom door to get dressed.

"No. You can't stay out. We've had a bad scare," Edward informed his sister. "Have you seen anything?" He listened for a few minutes. "Call Jazz. Mulder and Scully are here. Please bring Ren home now. I'm sorry about her dinner. Yeah. We'll make her some grilled cheese when she gets here. Alice? Tell Mom to take a safe, public route home, okay? Yeah. You too. Bye." He set down the phone shakily, considered a moment, and picked it up again.

"Who are you calling?" Emmett asked.

"Dad." His eyes flicked up. "Oh, hi Vera. Dad there, please? Emergency. Yeah, I'll wait." Bella came out of the bedroom, and dropped a small towel on Edward's neck. He nodded his thanks, rubbed his hair with it absent-mindedly, then froze.

"Dad! Yeah. We need you home. Charlie and the team found evidence today. Definitely Caius, there's no question at all. He's threatened to torture and kill all of us in retaliation. Yeah. Twenty minutes? Okay. Yeah, we'll see you there. Yeah. Bye."

Edward set down the phone, looking at everyone solemnly. "Dad wants us to meet him over at the house in 20 minutes."

"I'll notify the boys and Leah," Jacob volunteered.

"Yes, please. We need everyone."

"Billy and Sue?" Jacob checked.

"Yeah, better. Just in case."

"You leaving?" Jake winced.

Edward grimaced, looking thoughtful. "Not yet. Let's see what Carlisle says."

"You... won't leave without me, right?"

Edward cuffed Jacob playfully. "If only getting rid of you were that easy," he teased. Then, he ruffled the young man's hair. Jacob left at top speed.

"Edward," Rosalie moaned, trembling.

"It's okay, hon'. Don't cry. It has nothing to do with the magazine. It's just ... what the sadistic bastard is like.

"You're not mad at me... about the magazine? You don't think... I handed Caius a vehicle to hurt you with?" she demanded, jaw trembling.

"No, dear. He just found it ... convenient to his melodrama. Now stop fussing. Can't change the past."

"Thank you, Edward. Can I... have a hug?" Rosalie asked timidly.

"Sure, sure," Edward said, extending an arm. His sister-in-law hugged him, sighing.

A few moments later, they all heard a wolf howl. Mulder and Scully, unlike the others, jumped.

"Don't fret. There are lots of wolves here. They don't harm people," Bella said, patting Scully's shoulder reassuringly.

Edward walked into his bedroom, shut the door, and returned in what seemed like an impossibly short time, fully dressed. "Let's get up to the main house," he suggested.

The door opened, making Scully and Mulder jump again. Jacob hurried inside.

"You called Sam?" Edward checked.

"Yep," Jake confirmed.

"Wait! We should do a rec first," Mulder suggested anxiously.

The Cullens and Charlie exchanged worried looks.

Edward spoke up again, taking charge. "Not necessary. We ... have cameras everywhere out here."

Scully and Mulder's brows were on the ceiling. "Why don't we have record of that?" Mulder asked.

"Because they haven't picked up anything. There hasn't been anyone here who doesn't belong," Edward shrugged. "Come on, we'll all be safer up at the house."

"Let us take Point," Mulder suggested.

"He's _got_ a point, kid," Charlie said.

"Guns will not be effective against him," Edward reminded his family solemnly. Mulder and Scully felt a thrill of horror. What were they dealing with? Both sincerely hoped Caius was not a Super Soldier.

"Better than nothing," Charlie shrugged.

"Fine," Edward huffed, rolling his eyes. Scully and Mulder looked at each other, confused. Didn't the Cullens want protection? Mulder gave Scully a look that meant to say 'See? I told you they were odd'.

Edward called Queequag and tucked him under his arm. The dog was picking up on the tension. He was quivering with fright.

Charlie, Mulder and Scully drew their service revolvers, and peeked cautiously out the front door. They grouped themselves around the Cullens and Jacob, senses honed for any threat. Nothing seemed out of place, so Mulder motioned them to move out. Quietly, the group crept along the path to the Cullen mansion, searching the trees carefully.

When they turned the corner to the house, they were startled to hear a loud motor rev and cut out. Jasper was home, on his black Ducati motorbike. He dismounted and hurried to the group, embracing Bella and Rose. "Tarnation! Alice is in a right tizzy. You all alright?"

"So far, Jazz. But it's serious," Emmett stated.

"I can see that, since you've decided to talk in front of the Feds," he drawled, appraising Scully and Mulder.

"Carlisle's on his way. We need to decide how to handle this," Edward informed his brother-in-law.

"You considering involving Aro, now?" Jazz wondered. Who or what was an Aro? The agents wondered.

"Maybe." Edward punched in the key code to the electronic lock beside the door: 285536. Mulder noted the numbers, changed to phone text, spelled 'Cullen'. He ought to have a talk with them about beefing up inadequate security.

The group filed into the lobby of the gorgeous, modern house. Jake went straight to the kitchen, asking Scully and Mulder whether they might care for a soda. They mightn't. They cared for answers. Everyone but Jacob proceeded into the living room, and pulled up spots on the sleek, modern furniture.

"Maybe we should check the house," Mulder suggested.

"Not necessary. Our house has motion detectors throughout," Emmett shrugged. "It's totally safe."

"I'd like to see your security equipment. And your tapes," Mulder stated.

"Later," Jasper said curtly. "First, we get everyone present and accounted for, and we discuss the threat."

Mulder's eyes widened. Who were they dealing with? What kind of family were the Cullens? Were they some kind of crime family?

"Jasper trained as a SEAL," Edward said softly. "We rely on his expertise when this problem rears its pug-ugly head."

"This has happened _before?_" Mulder gawped angrily.

"Uh, not like this. And not in the States. We had... trouble... from Caius a few years back. When Bella and I were on our honeymoon, we discovered his nefarious activities, and managed to involve the appropriate authorities. I actually had him in my grasp, knowing he had murdered at least one innocent woman. I had a gun to his head, but there were a large number of civilians present, and I was afraid they'd get hurt. So I turned him over to Law Enforcement, who were going to extradite him to Italy. Somewhere along the way, he escaped. I wish to God I'd killed him when I had the chance.

"None of this is in your file," Mulder said angrily.

Yeah, super-young geniuses. Just the type of people intelligence agencies opt to woo and use.

"Top Secret," Edward shrugged. "Anyway, Bella and I stumbled across some of his ... operations. We got a bunch of his drug runners out of Rio. We found out he'd been brainwashing, seducing, and impregnating girls as young as fourteen for years. Five of them, in 2005 alone. All but two of the mothers were murdered. He'd wait for them to give birth, kill them and steal the babies to raise in his cult. So, we set up a secret refuge in the Amazon, and relocated and rehabilitated them, there. And while we were at it, we set up the Aid Station near Manacapuru, to protect other children from monsters like him.

"Some of the authorities in Brazil are corrupt. We trusted the wrong cop. He set us up with Caius, and Caius came in with his armed men, and had a huge battle with my good guys. Our side managed to cut down his men. He suffered bad losses. But we missed catching him. He's very slippery.

"We haven't heard from him in over three years. We were kind of hoping he'd come to a well-deserved bad end, you know? But when the threats against Carlisle's reputation started, we wondered. And when you told Charlie the victims' bodies were drained of blood, we grew more certain."

"But when we found out the bodies had human bite marks, and actual chunks of flesh bitten off? That told us right there," Charlie added. "That's his signature. And the threats written on the photos are conclusive proof."

"Yeah. Caius has re-established his cult of blood-drinkers," Emmett growled. "And he has a lot of resources at his command."

"I'll say," Rosalie growled, eyes rolling.

"We should bring in the NSA," Mulder sighed.

"Hah!" Edward sneered. "They won't even see him. No, Agent Mulder. Our Secret Ops have been tracing Caius a long time. Let us update our own operatives. We've got a better chance of catching him than you do."

"You haven't been doing such a great job so far," Mulder countered. "There are a lot of civilian bodies piling up."

"We weren't sure it was him before now," Edward protested. "_You're_ here now. You let us in on details the idiot in Seattle has been withholding. Now. We'll let you in on our operations. Tell you everything we know. Everything we can do. If you think he NSA can do any better, or the NARCs, or your people, or whoever, you can call them, after you hear our plans. Just don't call fucking FEMA. They're corrupt as hell. Look how they're handling the bloody Alien Problem, in the name of all that's holy."

"Aliens! What do you know about the aliens?" Mulder exclaimed hotly.

Edward allowed a small smile to creep onto his face, but his eyes glittered blackly. A shiver crept down Mulder's spine. "We don't know nearly as much as you do," he said softly. "You, Fox, are indispensable. As is Dana. We will do everything in our power to keep you safe, so you can fight the alien threat. Let us.

"Last thing we want is another human casualty. And this guy is not above setting off a bomb in the local school, or hospital, understand? In fact, he could easily set one that would wipe out all of Forks and LaPush, just like he did in South America. We're trying to keep a low profile. We piss him off, he makes a grand gesture. I don't want any collateral damage. Your agency doesn't have the same scruples. Give us a chance to catch him. I caught him once before. Is that fair?"

"Can we at least put out an APB on this guy?" Mulder asked, feeling frustrated.

There were snorts from those assembled. "Sure," Edward said, hands on his hips. "See if your database can pull up anything we haven't hacked already. There's no ID on this guy. No picture, no fingerprints, no DNA, nada. It's as if he doesn't even exist. We've put together a composite drawing of him that we all agree is highly accurate. Put it out there. See if you get anything. God knows, we want to catch him, so if you can help with that-"

"Why the hell didn't you tell us all this from the beginning?" Mulder snarled. "I thought you said we were friends."

"We are. I don't like harm to come to my friends, Fox. The last time we had a fight with Caius, _fifty_ of my Mapuche villagers died. I have a good man down there, thank God. He was badly injured in that battle. He's a man I can trust to look after the welfare of innocent people. A man like you."

"So, is that why _we_ are here, then?" Mulder shot at the assembled Cullens, arms crossed.

"No. We lucked out with you. You're just the kind of people we're looking for. But we didn't seek you out. That was the Cumquat in Seattle," Charlie sighed, eyes rolling. "Because of him, buying into the 'Carlisle is a vampire' bullshit of Caius's, that sick bastard has added a few more bodies to his count. It served Volturi's purpose, see? There's nothing that Caius di Volturi likes more than attention. He adores the thought of people living in fear of him. Really makes him feel big."

Mulder sighed, swallowing his anger. A wave of calm swept over him. For some reason, he trusted these people. Trusted their motives. Trusted them to get the job done. Resolute, he eyed Edward calmly, his mouth set stubbornly. "So what's your plan?"

Edward relaxed his posture slightly. "First, we pow wow with my father, Billy, Charlie, Jasper, Jacob, and Sam. We sort out our options, then make an attack plan."

"Why this team?" Mulder wondered.

"It's unorthodox. It works. Once we decide the best approach, we choose what other teams to bring in. Which people to notify."

"And you honestly think you can catch this guy?" Mulder checked.

"Frankly, Mulder, I don't _just_ plan to catch him," Edward said, mouth set firmly. He looked deadly as a shark.

"No?" Mulder said, brow raised.

"No. I'm going to tell you this, because I know you for a man who will believe me."

"I'm listening," Mulder said, arms crossed.

"He's not human," Edward stated. Fox opened his mouth with more questions. Edward growled, "Need to Know only, Mulder. No, he's not a Super Soldier, although he might as well be. And he's not one of your Grey Aliens either."

"What is he, then?" Mulder asked angrily.

"He's a monster, Mulder."

"And what are you?" Mulder demanded.

A growl passed through the group, almost like a thrum. It vibrated in Mulder and Scully's chests, unnerving them.

Edward's eyes flashed angrily. Then, an unnatural feeling of calm descended. He sighed, and exchanged a self-deprecating smile with his brother Jasper. "Let's just say... my family and my friends -a large number of us- are dedicated to the preservation of human life. And I do mean _life_, Fox, in all its glory, not just _existence_. Human life is a beautiful thing. We will fight with our dying breaths to keep you all safe from monsters."

"Why should I trust you?" Mulder growled bravely.

"What choice have you got? Besides, _maybe_ I should be asking why _I_ should trust _you_. An awful lot of the people who try to help you end up dead, Fox. Deep Throat? The Well-Manicured Man? The Lone Gunmen? How's Gibson doing these days?" Edward asked narrowly.

Mulder blinked, startled. "You know Gibson?"

Edward moved in closer. "Like I said. We fight to preserve mankind."

"I need more assurances from you," Mulder argued softly.

Edward stared at him for a few beats. "What do you want to know?" he conceded.

"I want to know about you," Mulder stated boldly.

"Edward!" Rosalie objected, her brow furrowed with worry.

The man in question shook his head at her minutely. "It's alright. Thank you, Rose."

Regarding Mulder thoughtfully, Edward answered. "I may or may not answer, based on what is safe for all of us. Knowledge about my kind cannot become public. Or retained by any government other than my own. Whole towns have been obliterated to preserve this secret. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Mulder said, solemn as any boy scout.

"You may ask," Edward said coolly.

"What are you?" Mulder asked equally coolly.

"Mulder!" Scully objected, wincing. She had taken as much as she could take without reining him in.

"Next question," Edward said stiffly.

Scully turned surprised eyes on him. He hadn't said 'human'. Hadn't laughed. Could Mulder be right?

"Who do you work for?"

"Myself. Humanity. God. People I love."

"Were you human once?" Mulder asked.

Edward considered. He raised his eyes to Mulder. "Yes."

"Dude," Emmett groaned. "Watch it. 'Need to Know'."

Edward nodded, eyes dwelling on Fox.

"No way you're 24. How old are you?" Mulder asked, eyes kindling with excitement. He was _finally_ talking to an _actual_ X-File-worthy non-human creature! He just _knew_ it.

"Next."

Mulder frowned, considering carefully. "Do you age?"

"No."

Gasp! He was getting to it, now. "Can you be killed?"

"Yes."

"Did you turn your wife into one of your own kind?"

Edward and Bella shared a look, then Edward returned his eyes to Mulder. "Yes. Inadvertently."

Mulder squirmed with curiosity. "Do you really have coro... corpo..."

"Coproporphyria?" Edward finished, head tipped to one side. "No."

"Do you eat human food?"

"No."

"What do you eat?" Mulder asked quickly. Vampire, vampire, vampire...

"Animal proteins."

"Like blood?" Mulder pressed.

Edward growled softly, inhumanly, and Mulder jumped.

"We are _not _cannibals," Edward declared. "Last question. My father is nearly home."

"How do you know?" Mulder blurted out.

"I can hear his car," Edward shrugged, smiling crookedly.

"Hah, hah," Emmett chuckled throatily. "You totally blew your last question, Mulder."

"Aw, _come on_!" Mulder protested, practically stamping his foot. The sound of the garage door opening could be heard. His time to ask questions was running out. He eyed Edward desperately.

"One more," Edward said patiently.

"Uh... Renesmee. She's your biological daughter, isn't she?" Mulder waited, holding his breath.

Edward looked at Bella, who blinked once. His topaz eyes bore into Fox's, evaluating. He made a decision.

"Yes."


End file.
